


A Possibility

by LeaderOfTheShadows



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-03-27 10:36:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 64,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeaderOfTheShadows/pseuds/LeaderOfTheShadows
Summary: Harry is changed, Snape lives, and Lucius ends up helping the Boy-Who-Lived more than any of them ever expected. What if all three of them turn out to want the same thing, which is a relationship? HarryxSeverusxLucius ensues, that's what!This story came to be when I decided to give my readers a choice in my story, which you can readhere. If you haven't read it yet, this won't make much sense on its own, given that the first 14 chapters are there, before these chapters.Then, if you chose to have Lucius join in and be with Severus and Harry (as opposed to the original story which is continued as a Snarry one), this is your story from Chapter 15.





	1. Chapter 15 - The AU

‘Lucius, tell me how much brandy you drank,’ Harry tried, but he didn’t get any answer, just a moan when he moved the aristocrat’s blond head to his lap, hoping that this way Lucius would choke less.

‘If you aren’t telling me, old man, I have to use a nasty curse on you that will make you vomit, just to be safe,’ Harry purposefully called Lucius “old man”, in a hope that the blond will curse him for it, and he’d see it was alright, but no such luck.

Harry wasn’t a healer who probably could just measure the blood-alcohol level with a spell, and even dimish it with another. It was Lucius’s tutelage that helped him learn the vomit spell at all, used by ancient shamans in Middle-Europe, hundreds of years earlier.

So, it would be natural to call for help - Madam Promfey would take care of Lucius in no time, even in the middle of the night. However.

Madam Pomfrey was a friend of Minerva, and she would worry too much not to tell the whole incident to the Headmistress, and McGonagall would try to speak with Lucius, and that wouldn’t end well.

Lucius had his pride, after all. Even if he was sick, he’d rather be in Harry’s sloppy care than Madam Promfey, if it meant discretion.

Harry tried, and saw that Snape has already left the school - and then quickly got out of the Potion Master’s head before he was noticed - so he couldn’t call Snape either.

Maybe… if you order a poor elf, and then made them promise not to tell anyone… Surely, Lucius wouldn’t be upset if one House-elf knew about his condition. Or would it be even more humiliating for him if an elf knew, and had “leverage” on him, despite being only a household servant in Lucius’s mind?

Harry couldn’t risk it. The only thing that could probably make Lucius’s condition worse than as it was, if he had to face humiliation, or better say something that was humiliating in his mind.

‘Okay, it’s me you’ve got then,’ Harry decided, thinking it was probably too much that he was there already, but then again, he wouldn’t talk. Lucius must know this as well, so Harry seeing him in an unfitting situation for a Malfoy was… well, not desirable, but he couldn’t just leave pretending he wasn’t there, so. ‘Now, for the vomiting spell.’

He half-carried, half-levitated Lucius to the personal bathroom, next to the toilet, holding Lucius’s hair back while speaking the charm. He didn’t dare to leave the blond, so he Accio-ed the same cup Lucius was drinking, and spelled water into it, ready to give it to the pureblood. 

After the vomiting charm especially, but with the drinking too, water will be needed, and Harry was ready to give Lucius galleons of it, even if the pureblood didn’t want to drink so much.

It took time until Lucius somewhat was brought back, and hell if it wasn’t disgusting. But he didn’t argue the cup of water in the slightest, so that was good, at least. Easier to take care of him.

‘Aguamenti,’ Harry muttered, then gave the cup back to Lucius again. The blond drank it again, eyeing him with hostility.

‘You shouldn’t be here,’ it was only later when he spoke to Harry, however.

‘No matter how I supposed to hate you, you don’t deserve to die. Not just yet, and not this way. Imagine the press of your death, or what your poor son would feel, knowing—’

‘I’m not dying.’

‘Now,’ Harry stated. ‘But don’t worry, I won’t tell this anyone, you have my word.’

Another silence ensued. It was one thing that they both tolerated each other on a daily basis, and another that Harry’s hand was still holding Lucius’s hair back, who was heaving in front of the loo, Harry seeing him like this.

‘That’s why I didn’t call Pomfrey so that no one knows. But if you wish, we still can. Or call an elf,—’

‘I’m already better,’ Lucius said, between two attacks, clearly not wanting an audience. ‘In fact, you could leave too.’

At this point, Harry could have, Lucius’s magic was doing the healing already probably, and he must have got rid of the worst part of the brandy because his color was returning too. However, Harry didn’t make a move to leave. 

He didn’t even push Lucius to explain himself either, although it was hard not to because he was worried, but it was too soon, so he just sat there in the cold floor with the blond. Knowing Lucius, it will be always too much to talk about why this happened in the first place. But if Harry didn’t know why, who is to say it won’t just happen again?

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Lucius hissed, and Harry knew. He shouldn’t “pity” Lucius in his presence, so he tried to Occlude hard and resort his facial features so that it wouldn’t show how worried he was. ‘If you’d be sentenced to Azkaban for the rest of your life and you only had a couple of months left until you have to return, you’d drink too.’

Yes, but it wasn’t about that, or not that alone, was it? Lucius was fine until Snape took Harry on their “date”. Harry knew so because of the mental link between him and the blond, and so far Lucius was good even at late hours.

‘Are you…’ _lonely_ , Harry almost asked, then realized it wasn’t a good wording for a Slytherin, even if it was the sentiment he was talking about. ‘Do you miss sex so much?’

Lucius was good enough now to glare at him. But then, he shrugged.

‘It’s not like you’re offering, Potter. And if you’re not, there is no point of the question.’

‘Being married to Narcissa, I’m sure you had a way to meet someone or something,’ Harry went on. ‘So my point is that maybe we could arrange for that now too.’

‘I kept a whore on the payroll, so she only serviced me. It wasn’t cheap but she took the Unbreakable-wow not to tell anyone, and the Polyjuice I was giving her to turn her into a man. There is no way I could afford her now if she’s still in the country. And I’m fine—’

Harry wondered how fine Lucius could be when he just made a mistake telling him what Harry wasn’t supposed to know.

‘The Polyjuice, it… didn’t happen to have Snape’s hair in it, did it?’ Harry asked, risking Lucius to curse him out of his rooms, just because of the question alone.

‘Potter. Snape would be the first to notice someone taking his hair—’

‘Snape goes to a Muggle hairdresser, I’m guessing, old habits die hard,’ Harry said, thinking that no matter how Severus’s hair was long, it was still not as long as Lucius’s, so he had to have it cut from time to time by someone. ‘If you could pay so much for a private whore, I’m sure you could pay enough for a Muggle hairdresser for some of his hair. Snape wouldn’t even think twice about it because Muggle’s leave their hair behind—’

‘You’re accusing me of being infatuated with Snape now, not so smart,’ Lucius warned, yet he didn’t say it was impossible or not true.

‘Why did you help me get him then?’ Harry didn’t understand.

‘Well, you still need to shag him at least once—’

‘I did,’ Harry said, and _bang_ , there it was. Lucius was unable to pull a straight face to that news, even if he recovered in mere seconds. Harry saw his initial reaction and Lucius knew he saw too.

‘Leave me,’ Lucius commanded, his patience wearing thin. But he just said so and didn’t curse Harry out yet, so Harry might have a little bit more time, which he was planning to use.

‘Why, Lucius?’

‘It’s not that I ever had a chance,’ the blond shrugged.

‘Well, without telling him, no,’ Harry commented, making Lucius send him a couple of murderous looks.

‘He didn’t even tell me when he switched sides, for Merlin’s sake! I would have followed him, my family would be better off too, but he didn’t trust me so much! How do you suppose he would have believed me if I told him? And now, me being in prison, he’s better off even with you.’

Wow, Lucius Malfoy thinking about someone else’s interest before his own, who wasn’t even family, and partially admitting it - he was just as in love with Snape as Harry was, probably. If not more.

‘I bet he wouldn’t like you to decide for him either,’ Harry went on, ignoring Lucius’s warning expression not to push the issue any further. ‘And clearly—’

‘Leave my quarters! Now, Potter!’

‘You could bring him to Voldemort because you had _honest_ feelings about him. It wasn’t just about seducing him to the ranks, he would have noticed, even if you claimed to him otherwise later.’

‘You’re delusional. Now—’

‘ _Now,_ I think we should just call him here, maybe. He can view my memories, and—’

‘Don’t you dare!’ Lucius warned. ‘I have dirt on you too, Potter, don’t forget. Plus, I can decide to teach you what I’m supposed to teach, instead of—’

‘I don’t need your pity either, Lucius,’ Harry, despite the best of him, hissed. ‘If Severus knew and chose you, I’d be devastated but I’d rather have that then only having him because you decided for the both of us!’

Harry was already in a Legilimens channel with Severus, who luckily wasn’t sleeping yet.

‘Potter?’

‘I’m… you have to come to the quarters of Lucius. He almost drank himself to death,’ Harry messaged Snape. ‘He’s okay now, don’t worry, but we need to make sure it doesn’t become a habit.’

‘I’ll… I’ll get there soon,’ Snape said, not even asking questions.

Harry left Lucius on the bathroom floor, but then sat on Lucius’s sofa until Snape showed. It was fast considering he couldn’t just Apparate straight into Lucius’s rooms.

‘Where is he?’ Snape asked, via their connection, not wasting time, seemingly worried.

‘Had a bit of a fight with him, so had to leave him in the bathroom, but he should be fine now, at least physically. Can you Legilimens me to a certain memory I want you to see?’ Harry asked in their heads, and Snape just nodded.

And Harry gave up his memories as a whole of the last 30 or so minutes, not caring about how Lucius said dirt on Harry, and probably meant Neville, and how Snape will surely ask about it later.

‘Why do you show me this?’ Snape asked in their heads, eyes cold on Harry. ‘You must realize Lucius will use whatever dirt he has on you, for betraying him now. And that I can only bed him to make him feel better.’

Harry knew this, even if the jealousy almost killed him.

‘I can’t watch him… sink so low. Not because on me,’ he answered in their minds. ‘Even if I want you badly for myself.’

There, he told Snape the truth. Even if he didn’t speak it out loud, it was still true. And just before Snape would go and shag Lucius too. He did all he could, given he was bound to lose sooner or later against the blond anyway…

‘You can’t want me so bad if you basically toss me to his arms,’ Snape noted, but then again, he was already on his way to the bathroom.

Harry wanted to tell him how it wasn't that simple but then he also had to leave before the other two started doing whatever they were going to do, not being able to stand even a small noise or anything escaping the bathroom.

He felt terrible as if the whole world was taken for him. But he also knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he saw through Lucius’s feelings and pain and didn’t do anything about it.

Harry barely realized he was walking the corridors, and that it was after curfew, and that Brian might still be onto him until they showed.

Brian, Hugh, Ron and two Death Eaters Harry didn’t know the names of but have seen them in Voldemort’s head enough.

‘Your friends won’t get an alarm this time, I’m afraid,’ Brian said, on a fake-honeyed tone. ‘You see, you have so many enemies, Harry, that we decided to work together. Ron here helped me to get into your habits and the spells you’ll use, I and Hugh got to research the alarm that would get your friends here to protect you and spelled it quiet, and these two gentlemen… they always wanted to kill you, which is practical because I didn’t want to dirty my hands with murder.’

Of course. Ron wouldn’t be able to do shit on his own, and neither could the Death Eaters even enter Hogwarts without help, because of the wards. But the two Ravenclaw had a reasonable plan, and it worked. Harry was overpowered now 5 to 1, and no one else showed.

He wasn’t cursed yet either, but he knew it was a matter of time. And knowing how he taught Ron every spell he was good at, he couldn’t use any of them probably, without all five countering them easily. He would have also called on Lucius, or Snape, any other time via the link.

But not now.

Plus, if Snape and Lucius were together, a part of Harry wanted to fight. To hurt someone, like he was hurting.

‘You came prepared, I have to admit,’ Harry spoke up, buying himself time so that he could list a number of spells in his mind that was dark magic, and he only recently learned them, so Ron couldn’t tell the others of them. ‘And bringing Death Eaters to the castle… is an unexpected touch.’

‘You didn’t seriously think that you can almost expel me from Hogwarts and then I won’t punish you, did you?’ Brian inquired, and although the others seemed to be bored with the conversation, wands at ready, no one flung the first curse yet, so they all stayed put. ‘And for what? For me fucking you? You should consider yourself lucky. If you weren’t famous I would have never even considered looking at you twice, for Merlin’s sake.’

Now, that made Harry stop preparing and jump straight into action.

He got Ron with the first curse - a binding spell - and knocked him unconscious within a second, but the other four… they were harder to handle. The Ravenclaws knew about his preferred spells and the Death Eaters knew about most of his dark spells, naturally. The four of them together repelled every single curse Harry could throw at them.

Harry was, of course, stronger than average, but he also wasn’t on Dumbledore or Voldemort’s level, not yet anyway. Maybe if he could finish the education what Lucius was giving him - now Harry wasn’t too sure it will continue - and if Harry got older, and thus his magic growing.

But now, he was going to lose. Not just because of the 4 on 1, because of how also his mood sucked. And dark magic already told him it wasn’t a good way to go, or he’d lose control again, trying to use powers he shouldn’t, in this state.

He wanted to summon an elf, calling McGonagall there, because she had the power of the wards, and could easily handle anything on the castle’s grounds with the help of them, but as he tried the summoning, he only was hit with a curse for taking the few seconds out of the duel, the four closing in.

‘Lucius, Severus, don’t stop what you’re doing,’ Harry connected to both wizards now, seeing some things he’d never intended to see, but there was no way around it. ‘But lend me your dueling skills in the meanwhile.’

It was tricky, being there with the two while being attacked, but Harry had no other choice.

‘Are you—’ Snape started, but Harry’s though stopped that quickly.

‘You can’t get here soon enough anyway. I need them now!’ It wasn’t even a lie. Then, he felt both wizards helping him, and stopping, even if they were still both naked, and sitting on Lucius’s bed.

‘Is it… Brian again?’ Lucius asked, not really sounding angry, which made Harry sigh. He might not get out of this impromptu-dueling-past-midnight alive, but at least the blond wasn’t angry at him anymore. If anything, he sounded worried, and… well fucked, if Harry wanted to put a label on it.

‘Plus a couple of Death Eaters, this time,’ Harry answered, which made Snape jump on his feet, gathering his clothes, and so did Lucius.

‘Idiot! You should have—’ Snape was cursing him in his thoughts, but then Lucius was now the part of the shared connection too, stopping him.

‘Have the link open with the both of us, Harry,’ he ordered. ‘And last so long until we can get there, will you.’

Strange, Harry would have never thought it was so easy to connect three people out of blue via the mental link, even if he regularly connected with both separately. But it was a blessing now, as he had to use curses the two men told him to use since he couldn’t just hold on with his own.

By the time they arrived, Harry was hit by three different curses, his left hand hurting somewhat. But, he still was in control, and he still wasn’t irreparably hurt either.

‘We got this from here,’ Snape just stepped in front of him. ‘Call Minerva, she’s going to need to take care of the rubbish once we’re done.’

‘Oh, if it isn’t the traitor Severus Snape,’ one of the Death Eaters spoke up. ‘Must be Christmas that we’ve got to kill you.’

‘Of but you won’t, Wiggins,’ Lucius said in a velvety voice, stepping up too.

‘My name is Higgins, Malfoy!’

‘Is it?’ the blond laughed, and Harry turned the corridor, hurrying to McGonagall’s quarters. Not that he wasn’t sure Severus and Lucius wouldn’t just handle the four just fine, but why risk it.

Then, it was just a matter of minutes ‘till Minerva and Harry got there, and the three students and the two Death Eaters were in bounds, the latter two awaiting the appearance of Aurors.

‘I’d have a word with Potter, if you don’t mind, Minerva,’ Snape said. ‘I also need to heal his arm, it’s burnt.’

‘Of course, Severus. We’re lucky you were here, in the castle,’ McGonagall said, looking at the three of them. She probably guessed it was Lucius who kept Snape but didn’t say anything about that.

And Snape grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him straight to Lucius’s rooms, then only started shouting. Lucius stood behind Harry, listening.

‘You ever, I repeat _ever_ attacked by a group skilled like that not to mention any Death Eaters, even if those two were obviously the scum of the group, you call us, you insolent child! No matter what are we doing—’

‘You two needed to—’

‘It’s nothing we cannot both get back into, for god’s sake!’ Severus was angry. Just as Harry said, old habits die hard, and Snape was still protecting Harry, even if he was better now at protecting himself, and admitting to it when he wasn’t capable doing so on his own.

‘I’m not a kid anymore, and I was handling them, and asking for help when I wasn’t!’ Harry argued back, and probably would have argued more, if Snape’s response to all of it wasn’t kissing him, now furiously, but even more hot if Harry was to think about it, which he wasn’t able to do.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Lucius was about to leave his own rooms to them, probably, judging by his voice, before Harry broke off the kiss with Severus, and grabbed the pureblood before he could really leave.

‘No, you should… carry on with what… I’ve disrupted,’ he told Lucius, but Snape kissing down on his throat didn’t help his verbal skills, let’s admit. ‘I should be leaving, in fact.’

‘No, you—’

‘Now you sound like neither of you wants me,’ Snape said and stepped closer to the door. ‘Maybe I should leave you two—’

Harry just laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of that sentence. He and Lucius? Even the thought of it was—

‘Maybe we could… Maybe you could be with both of us, Severus,’ Lucius spoke up. ‘I don’t mind as long as I don’t have to see what you’re doing to Potter, and he doesn’t see what you’re doing to me.’

That made all three shut up for a while before Harry spoke up.

‘Yeah, it’s not like I’m not dead jealous, but if it’s you, Sn—Sev, I can live with that,’ he looked at Lucius and sighed. At least he knew the man he was up against. And at least, Lucius was a beautiful man, smart and charming, so Harry could accept why Snape would want him too.

‘You two just want to shag each other,’ Snape, however, only frowned. ‘If anyone is an odd one out here, it’s me.’

He turned to leave, but Lucius backed him up to the door, snogging him, and running his hands down on him so that Harry couldn’t even leave. He just stood there, and since it was the second time he got a sneak-peak of how the older Slytherins spent their time together, he couldn’t even tear his eyes off of them.

‘I should—’

‘You should get in here,’ Lucius decided, grabbing Harry to plant him on Snape, and on a kiss, which Severus gave to Harry, but it still somewhat tasted as Lucius.

Man, Draco was Harry’s best friend. He can’t possibly do this, it’s not—

He had that thought and the resolution to pull himself out of the kiss until Snape didn’t deepen the said kiss, and Lucius didn’t step up to Harry’s backside with a huge hard-on, sandwiching Harry between the two wizards.

‘You cannot be serious,’ Harry only addressed Lucius in their minds, afraid that if they fight in front of Severus, in the end, Snape just leave them two behind. But he also couldn’t believe the blond would—

‘But I am,’ Lucius answered via the connection while kissing into Harry’s neck. ‘I wouldn’t mind shagging you, I’ve told you that already before. And you care about me, otherwise nor Severus nor you would be here right now. So if I don’t disgust you, I think we should take our chances.’

Harry had nothing to say to that, and after a couple of minutes, he found his legs wrapped around Severus’s hip, rutting against Severus just as much as Snape rocked his hips against Harry, while Lucius from behind Harry captured Snape’s mouth to a kiss, Lucius pressed against Harry’s backside.

Then, the blond let go of the kiss, and all three were panting heavily when Lucius spoke up in a husky voice.

‘Maybe we should… move this scene to somewhere, gentlemen.’

‘Your bed,’ Snape ordered, getting a kiss from Lucius, before he just lifted Harry, and took the raven to Lucius’s already used sheets, barely muttering a cleaning spell before dropping him down on it.

Then, as Snape used a non-verbal spell to banish all of their clothes, and begun to suck on Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived saw an evil smirk on Lucius’s face before the blond went ahead, and kissed into Snape’s neck.

‘I still won’t bottom for you, Lucius,’ Snape warned almost immediately, making the blond smile even wider.

‘Oh, but someday… mark my words.’

‘Maybe, but… not today,’ Severus moaned as Lucius bit down on his shoulder, probably drawing blood.

Harry knew he should have felt uncomfortable, but he couldn’t. With Severus being so turned on, it was impossible for him. Half of Severus’s turn on, if not more, was Lucius. So Harry couldn’t just send Lucius away, could he? Especially after what the blond has told him.

Harry cared about Lucius. It was true. He didn’t plan on it and didn’t necessarily liked to feel that way, but it was already done. So he couldn’t just fight it.

‘You’d rather have me fucking Harry dear here, and you fucking me, or—?’ Lucius wondered.

‘If Harry agrees, yes,’ Severus said, letting go of Harry’s member. God, he was so skilled, Harry wished he didn’t stop to talk. ‘Would you hate that?’

No “Potter” this time, Severus not even calling him a child, in fact, quite the opposite. He looked at Harry asking a question, leaving the young man to decide for himself.

Harry wanted that trust not to be broken, so he couldn’t just say “sure” because he wasn’t. What happened with Brian and Hugh made him rethink anything considering that there were three people in one bed once again, and he couldn’t be sure.

‘I’d like to try,’ he settled for it, making Lucius come forward now, and Snape moving behind the blond.

‘Just say “stop” anytime,’ Lucius whispered into his ear. ‘I mean it, I’d really fuck Severus once, if you’re not up for this.’

But then, he kissed Harry for the first time, and although it was reasonably different then Severus, it wasn’t bad. Especially when Lucius used a non-verbal lubricating charm, and entered one of his long digits into Harry, making the raven-haired bend into the teasing, all the while he caught Snape doing the same to Lucius, but his gaze was on Harry.

‘Hurry up, you blond bastard,’ Snape warned Lucius. ‘You know I can’t enter you until you enter him.’

‘Well, you… could but anyway,’ the elder wizard pulled on his member, as if he wasn’t already rock hard, and looked at Harry. ‘Last chance.’

For Harry to think twice about what was going to happen. Which he considered, but then Lucius being so close to him, and sensing what could very well happen, and seeing the cock that could be inside him, well. He couldn’t pass on that.

‘Draco’s gonna kill me,’ Harry muttered, but looked at Lucius, and the blond just smiled.

‘The kid is a softie. Maybe this is for the best.’

And with one move, he took Harry rather harshly. Given, however how turned on Harry was, it only felt better.

‘Merlin, move!’ Harry barely managed to say, now looking at Severus, who was eyeing them with his pupils blown, his erection in his hand.

‘One second, though,’ Snape said, angling himself to Lucius’s entrance, who just twitched hard when Severus found a way inside him. And Harry could feel that twitch, given how close they were.

‘Fuck, I hate you both,’ Lucius swore, his eyes closed, probably too overwhelmed by the two of them. ‘You’re gonna be.. the death of me.’

‘Well, you are surely old enough,’ Snape teased him, pulling his dick fully out just to push it fully into Lucius again. ‘But I have an issue of so many limbs here.’

And with that, Snape levitated all of three of them a bit off of the bed, just so that they could be positioned better.

‘Should go slow, Severus,’ Lucius warned. ‘Or I won’t have the time to fuck Mister Potter here.’

‘I will finish him too if you don’t,’ Snape just said, almost as if it was a challenge, which Lucius took.

‘You cum with me, Harry,’ he ordered, then kissed Harry, and the raven-haired wizard was sure he would. 

For one, what Lucius did to him was alone arousing as hell, but if he went further in thought, and saw Severus just moving behind Lucius, setting the rhythm for all three of them, looking back at Harry… even the thought was too much, not to think about the thrusts and kisses and touches and small bites he received.

Harry came first, bringing Lucius quickly to follow him, with his muscles now even tighter around the blond. Which left Snape, but he must have been close too, and could now move better fucking into Lucius, that the elder wizard was no longer in Harry.

However, while Lucius’s eyes were closed, Snape kept an eye-contact with Harry now, up until he came hard into the Pureblood.

Harry realized, that before, when it was just Snape and him, Snape had him turned the other way, so he wasn’t looking at Harry’s eyes, doing this with Lily’s son. Maybe he didn’t want to, maybe he didn’t dare?

But Lucius between them was enough to take that away, and when all three collapsed as logs when they were all done, and Severus lowered them back to the bed’s level, Harry thought it was for the better.

‘We could repeat that once more,’ Lucius mentioned now smirking at Harry, but he knew Snape was listening too. ‘Or more than once, if you ask me.’

‘I’m spent for today,’ Snape muttered, and Harry believed it. Snape had sex with both of them before they went on and had sex in three. ‘But if you two feel the urge, be my guests to act on it.’

‘Maybe tomorrow morning,’ Lucius turned his head to place a kiss on Severus’s lips, earning an incredulous look from Snape but turning back to Harry without an explanation, kissing Harry too. ‘I rather had a full night as it already is.’

‘You okay?’ Snape asked Harry, bringing up the covers to pull it on all three of them.

‘I’m… more than that, actually,’ Harry answered, and to his surprise, that just only made Severus smile contently, leaning over Lucius, and kissing Harry goodnight to.

Harry didn’t even consider how all three of them were naked under the sheets, and how he ended up in Lucius’s arms, even if Snape was there too. It was warm and comfortable, and he slept like a baby, for what was left of the night, anyway.

And when he woke up, Snape wasn’t up yet, and Lucius only addressed Harry mentally as if not to wake him.

‘Hope you aren’t full of regrets.’

‘’M not,’ Harry fought a yawn answering. ‘In fact, I kinda wish we could eat breakfast in bed.’

‘I… I owe you a thank you,’ Lucius told him in their minds, still managing to sound dead-serious. ‘Even if it’s only for a short time, or at maximum until I have to return to prison, I… you’re sharing Severus with me is one thing, then you go ahead and share yourself too.’

‘I’m… you’re not going back in prison, Lucius,’ Harry said, full intent now to stop that. ‘I managed to get Draco out of there, and so—’

‘Draco wasn’t a criminal, not really, but I was. And I’d never ask a lover of mine to do my dirty work for me, it’s—’

‘You didn’t ask, but I offered. And maybe it’s you sharing Severus with me, not the other way around,’ Harry thought of how Snape just fucked him when they were the two of them alone, but how different it was when Lucius was around too.

But Lucius didn’t believe him, he could feel it. And that bothered him, so he was probably just about to get into a nasty fight with Lucius when there was a knock on the outer door of the blond’s quarters.

‘Father?’

It was Draco, making Harry blush deeply, and judging by the look on Lucius’s face, the blond was proud of Harry’s blush.

‘One second, Dragon,’ he called out sternly and kissed Harry while he was dressing, just to make the younger wizard blush definitely deeper now, toying with him.

Then, as he was dressed, he went to open the door.

‘Draco, good morning, haven’t seen you in ages—’ but he didn’t get far with the cheerful tone, his son interrupting him.

‘Where is he? I know he stayed the night because he didn’t come back!’ that made Harry think that it was a mistake on his side, not returning to his common room, and thinking Draco wouldn’t care or notice. 

‘Who is?’ Lucius, of course, was a hell of an actor, pretending he didn’t know anything.

‘I know he’s attracted to you, but I never took you for a fucking pedophile!’ Draco said and probably blew his father away with a few of curses, because the next thing Harry knew was that he was trying to dress soundlessly, ready to leave, and Draco was now standing there, pointing a finger at him.

‘Fuck! I knew it! How the hell could you, Harry?’ and Draco was now coming closer, trying to escort Harry out of the room. ‘But never mind, I won’t let you come back here—’

‘What’s with the ruckus so early in the morning?’ Snape appeared, with only a night-robe spelled on, which he must have only recently spelled on himself.

Draco eyes were now so big, Harry was afraid they will pop out of the blond’s head.

‘Draco, not that it’s any of your business, but if you’re looking for the child-molester, that’s me,’ Snape said. ‘Lucius was sleeping on the sofa the whole night, but was kind enough to—’

‘No, I wasn’t,’ Lucius said, making Draco glare, but he just shrugged. ‘And I dare you, son, to critique me about my choices.’

‘Is that so?’ Draco let go of the half-dressed Harry’s T-shirt, now angrily turning to his father. ‘First you join Voldemort, then you’re incarcerated, and _I_ have to join him, trying to restore the family name at age 16, and then you fuck my best friend, whom by the way, you wanted to see dead not so long ago, and you dare me to critique that?’

‘Being with Severus,’ Lucius started, then looked at Harry and Snape both. ‘Being with these two is the first choice in my life that felt good. That I didn’t do because of politics and power, only because I wanted to. I may have made terrible mistakes in the past, but this doesn’t fit in with them, whatever it is.’

‘I’ll kill you, as I should have a long time ago—’ Draco was now on a verge of crying. Snape stepped in front of Lucius, while Harry gathered the rest of his uniform which he could find, and grabbed the blond's hand, tugging him out of the quarters.

‘Dray, you’re just angry right now, you don’t mean it.’

By this time, Harry managed to pull Draco far from the older Malfoy, and they were in an empty corridor, the blond stubbornly stopping, hearing Harry’s words.

‘Maybe you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, but he’s an adult! He was an adult even when you were born, for Merlin’s sake! He should have stopped this madness!’

‘I’m… you say madness because I’m not capable to reach up to his level, or—’

‘No, Harry, of course not, you’re more mature than your age. And would it be only Snape, I’d even be happy for you. But father is way too old and a convict, and he’s probably playing you. He wants something. Maybe he thinks you can pull him out of Azkaban as you could pull me out of there.’

‘And if I’m sure he isn’t?’ Harry said, making Draco frown.

‘It’s not right, Harry. Is it because I’m not gay, and for a while, you seemed to have wanted me, because if it is—’

‘Jesus, Mooncalf, not everything’s about you—’

‘He’s my father,’ Draco said, his real expression is hidden behind a face he pulled when he didn’t want people to know what he was saying. ‘You do realize that if you were a woman, you could bear my siblings after last night, don’t you?’

‘I realize how this sounds, but I don’t care,’ Harry found himself saying.

‘Then have it your way then,’ Draco hissed at him, now tears in his eyes, but his expression angry. ‘I guess it’s no big deal if you’re fucking my father or he’s fucking you with Snape or whatever is you three did if I’m not your best friend anymore.’

‘Draco, please don’t—’

‘Will you stop?’ the blond asked. Only his voice was so emotional Harry felt as if someone punched him in the gut.

‘I… can’t, but Draco, please, consider—’

‘Then I have nothing to consider for _your_ sake, _Potter!_ ’ and Draco Malfoy was as spiteful as he was before their last year. ‘You’re dead to me. And so is he!’

 _Well,_ Harry thought to himself as he stared at the corridor Draco had already left minutes ago. _That went surprisingly well..._

But there was no helping it, at least not now, it seemed. Plus, when he had to go to tell someone what happened, he didn’t go to Ginny, he went back to Lucius and Snape without a second thought.

‘He’ll calm,’ Lucius said, even without asking anything. ‘Come, eat breakfast with us.’

‘Shouldn’t I eat breakfast with my peers, in the Great Hall, like everyone else, you know, considering—’

‘Oh no, you’re clearly upset,’ Snape charmed a third chair to the table without looking up from the Prophet he was reading. ‘Plus those dunderheads clearly don’t value your companionship as they should. You’re ours for the weekend.’

It sounded like a claim, and Harry had to fight himself not moan just by hearing that, and thinking… a weekend can be used for _many_ things.

‘Indeed,’ Lucius smiled, cutting up his toast with knife and fork, not even eating that with bare hands which Harry found amusing. ‘Plus here, in my rooms, you’re only attacked by two ex-Death Eaters if you _desire_ to be attacked. Unlike the other parts of the castle.’

‘Lucius, you make such good points,’ Severus let go of the newspaper finally, smirking at Lucius, then at Harry, who just didn’t think he’d survive the weekend at this pace. He was already turned on, for Circe’s sake, and they weren’t even doing anything, only talking.

‘Harry, you better be a _good boy,_ and eat a full breakfast, before even thinking about _play_ ,’ Lucius must have noticed and decided to tease him about it.

But if he was down to teasing, Harry could be too, no matter how uncomfortable it was to eat with a raging hard-on.

‘I’ll eat nicely if I can have _dessert_ afterwards.’

‘You two are _lunatics,_ ’ Snape added, looking serious, but he was probably teasing, so Harry just smiled.

‘Just the way you prefer them, then,’ he told Snape, earning an encouraging look from Lucius, and a surprised one from Severus. 

They so weren’t finishing that breakfast.


	2. Chapter 16 - Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys asked for this, and I kind of enjoy writing both versions so I shall continue on with this madness! Only, now I have to write twice as much, and my word count was already huge before, so be patient with me.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for your comments, kudos and that you're still reading! They especially made me happy this week, because I was unsure of the trio-thing. So thank you all! XOXO

When Draco didn’t speak to Harry after the weekend, and that made Ginny shut up to (although she never shut up, now she had to), it’s really like Harry’s fourth year when Ron got angry at him, and that ruined Harry’s friendship with Hermione too, by extension.

He saw in Ginny’s eyes that Draco told her everything, wishing that they could just talk about it, but every time he appeared where those two are, Mooncalf just left. The breakfast table, the library, the Common Room.

Of course, Snape had to head back home to his business, after spending the weekend with them, and Lucius got back to teaching Harry as if he was a totally different Lucius than the one he had been with the three of them, and that’s for the better.

For one, Harry wouldn’t be able to concentrate much on learning if Lucius were to flirt with him during class. And two, they are perfectly matched in three, but Harry couldn’t imagine doing anything with Lucius without Snape. It would still feel weird.

So he had plenty of free time now, waiting for the next weekend, although they didn’t speak about how they will spend it together, but they didn’t say there is not going to be a repeat of the previous weekend either, so Harry found himself hoping.

He also figured that this with Draco cannot go on. When _Ronald_ had hurt him, shouting at Harry things that were untrue, Harry couldn’t just forgive him for it and apologize, because it was ridiculous.

This time, however, he could see where Dray came from. It was _unusual, to say at least_ what Harry did, and his friendship with Draco meant more to him than Ron’s ever did. So if he had to beg to the younger blond to forgive him, he would have.

That wasn’t how Draco’s mind worked thought. They’d never get anywhere like that when he wanted and needed to hate Harry. And that was never the way of speaking to each other either, seeking forgiveness after being arch enemies for so long.

Harry had to challenge Draco, let the blond express his anger in some way, and then show power over him to be at least heard, if not forgiven. Or, he could have waited, but some things won’t just settle on their own, and even if they did, they might leave ugly scars.

So, he decided. One thing that could fuel Draco to let go of his ignoring Harry, express how he really felt, and then one thing Harry had a confidence he could demonstrate strength in - the only thing he was more confident about than any Pureblood - Quidditch.

He challenged Draco sending the message to Ginny, asking her to be the referee, while he and Dray could just have a one on one Seekers game.

‘You aren’t even supposed to be on the field,’ Draco spat, his expression vicious. It was so according to plan Harry might have smiled if it wouldn’t ruin everything. ‘I was tempted to call a teacher on you, get you out of here, instead of showing.’

‘Yet you’re here,’ Harry shrugged. And also, Draco was talking to him, even if it was to spite him.

‘I couldn’t miss beating your sorry arse.’

‘Draco, please—’ Ginny asked, but the blond just looked at her.

‘What? It’s he who said I was a disgrace in the name of flying as a Pureblood!’

‘You are,’ Harry said, now making Ginny sigh, and fly to the middle of the Quidditch field with the Snitch.

‘I’m not going to be a part of your showdown, but I’m afraid to leave you two alone, so I’ll be the referee,’ the redhead witch stated, ready to start the match. ‘But I don’t want you cursing each other. If you want to win, win a fair game. Otherwise, I’ll curse you both!’

‘Yes, ma’am!’ Harry just made a show to wink at Ginny, who just shook her head laughing, but Draco’s expression turned from fairly angry to straight murderous. Harry’s plan was working so far. 

He’d just now had to win a game where Draco went full out and maybe a little bit more, because of the anger. The blond could have been twice the player he usually was if he utilized his anger, but he was a Malfoy and thought that he had to be cool. And he was too preoccupied with people’s opinion to really try, especially after the war. That way, it wasn’t hard for someone like Harry to beat him.

However, not this time. He had to push Dray’s buttons to get him to play at all, but because of that, the blond was going to play better than ever, probably. And Harry couldn’t afford to lose - not if he wanted Draco back as his best friend. 

If Harry lost, he’d be hated more by the blond. Malfoys admired power, and hated losers, after all, even if it wasn’t always a conscious decision. So he had to win. And he was ready to go all-in too. Whatever it took.

And, as it turned out, it took more than Harry expected. But he wasn’t letting this go. Flying was in his genes, and a good 6 years practice in his every muscle. He couldn’t let himself admit he feared a loss. Nor he could let Draco see that.

‘Is this all you’re capable of, Mooncalf?’ Harry asked the blond after he caught the Snitch. Not that they weren’t closely matched, and weren’t head to head in the score Ginny kept, but still. ‘I didn’t even warm up yet.’

‘Fuck you!’ Dray just flew over so close to him that any lesser player would have fallen off of their broom. Not Harry, though, he just laughed.

‘Look at him trying, Ginny,’ Harry said half an hour later when both Draco and he were drenched in sweat by then, but neither of them was about to give up. ‘I know I had been gay so we had to break it off, but I can’t believe your new boyfriend can’t even fly properly.’

Now Ginny was looking at him irritated too, but she didn’t say anything, and she was a fair judge. Harry couldn’t have asked more of her, really, given the situation. And, as expected, Draco’s angry expression was priceless.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, did you just let me score that one?’ Draco said not long after, as it was him who caught the Snitch now. ‘If I’m such a worthless player, how is it going to feel when you lose to me, Potter?’

‘I’m sorry, I almost fell asleep. You were saying?’ Harry said, the Snitch now being his turn to be caught.

‘I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I hate you. And not just how I did in the past years,’ Draco said, ready to take a position for the next round.

And so, they were talking. Even if it took way too much energy to play Quidditch at this pace, after an hour and a half, Draco said this first sentence, and Harry felt smug about it. He didn’t even answer for a couple of rounds, trying to look not too eager to talk about it.

‘I didn’t know you cared whom you father dates.’

‘I don’t!’ Draco almost knocked him off the broom, now this time with his bare hands, before Ginny quickly got there, and stopped it, flying between them. ‘But you are my best friend!’

“Are”, not “were”. Not even given the circumstances. That, for a second, at least, got Harry to shut up. He didn’t count on how hearing this would feel, but then he quickly got back to his plan.

‘I didn’t know you were supposed to tell your best friend who to date, loser!’ he told Malfoy later when it was his time to catch the Snitch.

‘I’m not doing that!’

‘Aren’t you?’ Harry shrugged, when in fact, the topic was why he was there in the first place.

‘I’m not! It’s just—’

‘What people would think? About your mom? What could possibly—’

‘I don’t want it to get weird, okay?’ now Draco looked spent and dead tired, not angry, his voice conveying more honesty than anger.

‘Because if I was to break up with Lucius, and break his heart, he’d eye me angrily in the Malfoy family dinners you were going to invite me too, Mooncalf?’ Harry asked, this time not waiting a blink of an eye to do that. He couldn’t, plus at this point Draco was so far gone they were just hovering in the air, the challenge completely forgotten.

‘No, you idiot!’ Draco flew closer. ‘But… Every time I hug my best friend, I don’t want you to think about how my father held you previously or something! I want to tease you like I always do, without… it’s getting weird. I want to be able to be around you and not just remind you that I’m a week copy of his, not as so witty or sexy or whatever you see in him.’

Harry found the first sentence already ridiculous, but he made himself shut up until the blond was talking.

‘And I… I don’t want to think that you only chose to be my friend because… you wanted to please my father. Taking me out of Azkaban and everything.’

‘Jesus, Dray, how could you ever think that,’ Harry now couldn’t stop himself from saying. ‘I thought you knew me better than to think that.’

‘Well, I thought I did. But the Harry Potter I knew would have never… go for both my father and Snape.’

Now Draco had angry tears in his eyes, but he hovered there proudly, not trying to hide it. Ginny came up to him, eyeing them with slight worry.

‘And if you broke up with him you wouldn’t want to see me either! I have been told many times how I look exactly like him, only younger—’

‘There is nothing that could make you not be my friend, Dray,’ Harry said, even if it sounded terribly sentimental so he had to add. ‘Even when you treat me like a jackass, and almost kill me during a friendly game, I still… you are my best friend too.’

‘Still—’

‘Ginny, you date Draco. Did you ever think about dating Lucius, if he was straight?’ Harry asked, making Ginny imitate choking of all the sudden.

‘Merlin NO! Even the idea—’

‘Because they are so different,’ Harry said.

‘Poles apart,’ Ginny nodded.

‘And whatever love you feel for Draco, did you begin to like Lucius too? I mean—’

‘No. I hate Lucius but I’m deeply in love with Draco.’

That earned a kiss for Ginny on Draco’s side, and Harry turned his head to look at the empty booths above the field, but they weren’t entirely empty. McGonagall was there. Damn, Harry wasn’t supposed to be flying, if he’d get reprimanded for this, he can’t finish his conversation with the blond!

‘Draco, you aren’t your father. Luckily for everyone,’ Harry quickly said. ‘I could never be the best friend of Lucius, as I could never associate you with being sexy.’

That made Draco hex him, but Harry just laughed, not even trying to shield it. Which got a smile from Draco in return.

‘I remember you correcting my posture just here, just a couple of months ago,’ the blond told him, his eyes serious. ‘Don’t you think—’

‘Well, it clearly got you to be a better player,’ Harry said, avoiding a hex now by turning his broom.

‘I was always a good player!’ Draco said, aiming at him with his wand. But there was nothing serious among the hexes that he was throwing.

‘Okay, I’ll admit! I’m into you!’ Harry said, now grinning. ‘So much so, that even your father is good for me if you’re unavailable—’

‘Shut up!’ Draco flew up to him, now being able to laugh at those comments too. He surely wasn’t able to do so a couple of days back. Then, before Harry could reply, the blond hugged him tightly.

Harry might have sighed a small sigh just because of relief because he planned on this, but still was insecure and terrified up until this point, and Draco heard that, letting him go, probably trying to cheer him up.

‘But, if you ever think about me while wanking, I’ll hex your balls!’

Harry did laugh at that.

‘Such a sweetheart you are, Mooncalf.’

‘And you an idiot, _Potter_ ,’ Draco replied without thinking. ‘Now can we go back to the Common Room finally? It’s freezing here and I still have homework to write for Ancient Runes.’

‘And then when will we finish this game?’ Harry said. ‘McGonagall is up there, watching. I’m quite sure she’ll inform me I’m forbidden—’

‘Your win, Harry,’ Draco now said. ‘As it was from the beginning, and we both know it. Plus, she doesn’t seem to be angry. I think she has been there for quite a while too. If she wanted to stop you, I’m pretty sure she’d already had you down. Maybe you should talk to her.’

‘Will you miss me while I’m gone, _Dray_?’ Harry asked, with a small smile now, his voice rivaling Fred and George’s when they were joking.

‘You know what, you and father really deserve each other. You’re both intolerable!’ Draco said, turning his broom to Ginny, so he probably missed the smirk Harry sent him after that.

The pit that was in Harry’s stomach felt much better as he flew to see what the Headmistress wanted.

‘Potter, I dare to say I never saw Mister Malfoy or yourself fly like that,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I missed the beginning.’

‘Thank you for letting me play.’

‘You’re back to being Captain, Potter,’ she said. ‘In fact, I want Slytherin to win the House Cup this year, for the first time of my life, although your absence did leave a mark on Slytherin’s scores, so far, I’m afraid.’

‘Thank you!’ Harry said, smiling widely. He loved to play, and it might have been another reason why he challenged Draco. He could have figured something else out too, but this was his first instinct.

‘I’m going to see if I can get a couple of famous Team-Captains for the matches too. Have you ever thought about pursuing Quidditch professionally, Potter?’ she added, surprising him.

‘You really don’t have to, Professor—’

‘Would you consider if they came and offered a position to you or not?’ she said, with a stern expression. ‘You won’t be a student here forever, you must realize, Mister Potter.’

‘I would.’

‘It’s settled, then,’ the Headmistress now beamed at him, and her smile was much like Albus’s smiles. Back when he was still close to Harry, not yet knowing or even guessing that Harry was a Horcrux. Harry missed that smile, and a part of him was tremendously happy to see McGonagall smile at him like that.

Was it pride there in the smile? Or care for Harry? Either way.

‘Thank you, Professor,’ Harry said.

‘You know, I’d also like to invite you for tea sometimes,’ Miverva added. ‘So that we can talk not only when you’re in grave danger or I happen to get a notice from the Quidditch field’s wards that you’re breaking the rules.’

‘Yeah, that would be something different,’ Harry agreed, smiling cheekily, which just got the older witch to shake her head in disbelief, but she had a small smile in the corner of her eyes.

‘You know, you remind me of Sirius Black right now.’

‘Well, we both are charming, I guess,’ Harry said, making the Headmistress roll her eyes.

‘Sure, you tell yourself that, Mister Potter. See you at the tea! Just send me an owl if you’re free.’

Harry flew back to the ground, where his friends already were waiting for him.

‘So, are you expelled?’ Draco casually asked.

‘I’m back to Captain, in fact. She also wants me to have the opportunity to try out for some professional teams, if they want me, that is.’

‘Merlin, she just adores ex-Gryffindors! She hid that well, but as she gets older, it’s getting more and more obvious,’ Draco sighed.

‘Well, she invited me for tea too.’

‘I hate you,’ the blond said, and Harry smiled at him.

‘If tea means so much to you, you can come too, Dray. I’m sure if I asked her, she wouldn’t have the heart to say no to her favorite student, after all, even if it’s about you—’

That helped, cracking Draco up, and after that, Ginny smiled at Harry too.

‘So we’re back to normal, thank Merlin,’ Ginny sighed, pulling her gear off of her hands, mentioning while Draco went ahead to shower, and Harry still had to take his broom back first to the cupboard they were keeping them.

‘My name is Harry, I think that’s what you meant to say,’ Harry said, teasing.

‘Oh wow, one weekend with Snape and Malfoy and you’re so full of yourself?’

‘Take that back!’ Harry said, gaping at her, which made her laugh.

‘Got you! Oh, my Merlin, you should have seen your face,’ Ginny said, still laughing.

‘Very funny,’ Harry pouted, but not for long. It was good to have Dray and Ginny back, there was no denying that one.

They got back to the castle about half an hour later, because even if Draco mentioned homework, they took a small detour around the field, just the three of them, walking, joking with each other.

So, it was at least a surprise to see Lucius still waiting there, but there he was.

‘Good evening, Draco, how is your girlfriend?’ he smiled at his son, who let go of Ginny’s hand, but it was already too late. Then, before any of them could address the topic any further, or Draco could figure out what to say to that, and probably send Lucius to hell, the older blond changed his tone and the topic fast, turning to Harry.

‘Mr. Potter, I do believe you just broke Professor Snape’s explicit orders and played Quidditch.’

Harry blinked, not really understanding why the Pureblood was there at all, and since when did he care about Harry breaking the rules which he himself taught Harry to break.

‘Did you or didn’t you?’

‘I did,’ Harry said, being a Gryffindor still enough to admit.

‘Consider, some Death Eaters still at large, even with the continuous arrests and the Aurors working overtime every day and even the weekends. And the Quidditch field is further away from the castle, where any bad-willing-criminal can enter there more quickly, yet if you were to be attached, and should you call for help, it would take more time for your Professors to get there.’

Harry hung his head. He didn’t really consider his safety first, and that coming from Lucius didn’t help either.

‘Why do you think Professor Snape revoked your practice in the first place?’ Lucius pointed out, now Ginny and Draco silently staring at them from the background. ‘He wanted to protect you, Mr. Potter. And then you go ahead and endanger two other students as well—’

‘We were fine! In fact—’ Draco tried, but one look from Lucius made him shut up.

‘Don’t talk back to me when it’s not even you I’m having a conversation with, Mr. Malfoy,’ Lucius said, his eyes dark. ‘As your teacher, I might even take points.’

That made his son so angry that his cheeks reddened, but he knew his father and that it wasn’t wise to argue with the man.

‘I’m guessing you’re perfectly right, as always, _Professor_ ,’ he still told Lucius, using sarcasm, almost daring his father to take points for that.

‘You’re forgiven, Mr. Malfoy,’ Lucius said. ‘After all, you’re correct, and I’m quite perfect.’

That made Ginny snort, but she didn’t want to provoke a fight with Lucius either, so otherwise, both she and Draco shut up, causing Lucius to turn back to Harry.

‘So, Mister Potter,’ his voice was so cold Harry couldn’t believe it was the same man he’d been with the weekend. ‘You have detention every night this week.’

‘What?’ Harry burst out. Okay, he was careless a bit, but he had a reason to be careless if winning back Draco’s friendship was a good one, and he didn’t think he’d be punished this severely for it. Only one night with Flitch was a nightmare, not that he shall have now five this week. When not even McGonagall punished him!

‘That way at least your teachers can rest, knowing where you are,’ the aristocrat went on, not even paying attention to Harry’s outburst. ‘In fact, I’m quite sure you’re already late from your first one, so I’ll take you.’

‘Lucius—’ Harry tried, not believing what he heard.

‘Mr. Potter, I’m warning you. I’m your teacher, and you should address me and such, and believe I’m quite sure about your detention when I say you got yourself a week,’ Lucius said, now his voice impatient, if anything. ‘But I can raise it if you think it’s not quite enough.’

‘Professor, I still didn’t have any dinner yet—’

‘Two weeks,’ Lucius smiled a cruel smile now as if to dare Harry to say anything back to that.

‘Can you take care of my bag, Dray?’ Harry sighed, giving it to the blond.

‘You got it. And he’s an asshole, don’t even pay attention to him,’ Draco said back on a lowered voice so that Lucius wouldn’t hear.

‘I’m ready to go, sir,’ Harry said, giving in, really not wanting 3 weeks instead of 2 now.

Only when they were turning corridors quickly and they weren’t heading for Flitch’s office did Harry dare to ask.

‘I… my detention isn’t with Flitch?’

‘Of course not,’ Lucius laughed at his face. ‘It’s with me. And not as much as a detention as I might have led on, but I think Draco will pity you for an unreasonable punishment and talk to you again, this way.’

‘I… I already got him talking with the Quidditch,’ Harry blinked. Was it all a scene, then? He couldn’t have called the acting on blond wizard’s part, no matter how much he knew Lucius and his way the Pureblood's mind worked.

‘Oh, my mistake then,’ Lucius grinned. ‘McGonagall said you were fighting on brooms now, so I thought—’

‘The fighting part got Draco to let up a bit, but now we’re fine. At least I hope. So can I go back to them and have dinner, call this a misunderstanding?’

‘Oh no, you still can’t,’ Lucius’s voice stopped Harry before he could even turn to head back where they came from, his stomach really empty after the exercise he got. ‘I’m happy that you alone managed to convince my son to forgive you so quickly, but you’re still having dinner with me, in my quarters. For two weeks.’

Harry’s eyes went wide before he got his composition back. So it wasn’t a detention at all!

‘It’s a date?’ he had to ask because he couldn’t believe it.

‘Are you mentally challenged by chance, Harry?’ now the blond opened the doors to his quarters, waiting for him to enter. ‘I believe I’ve just said so.’

Harry did blush at that and got Lucius’s evil smile to be even wider.

Then, they got to the table and an elf was ordered to bring their food surely, because it appeared in a blink, both Lucius’s favorites and what Harry liked.

‘How do you know what I eat?’ the raven-haired-wizard asked a bit surprised. He always ate at the Big Hall, and Lucius almost never.

‘I guessed, after the weekend,’ Lucius said, smiling. ‘I’m glad that judging by your reactions I was right.’

‘So… it’s just the two of us now?’ Harry asked, half hoping Snape would Floo in in the middle of the meal, apologizing that he forgot, but he was with a Potion and he forgot time…

‘Do you see anyone I don’t?’ the blond said, and then to Harry’s reaction, bit his lip as if to keep himself from laughing.

‘No, I just…’ Harry didn’t know what to say so he pretended to eat.

But he was a bit uncomfortable, truth to be told. He never in a million years though Lucius would invite him just the two of them, and his panicked mind didn’t help him with great topics to ask about, of out the blue.

Plus, no matter how he looked at it, he still didn’t want to have sex with the Pureblood if it was just the two of them. With Snape, they both loved him, they both were attracted to him, so they tolerated each other. At least that’s how Harry felt, for now. With time, that might change, but they were barely in this curious relationship yet, so…

But what if Lucius thought different? What would happen then? Could Harry reject Lucius without risking what they had in three? And if he didn’t reject Lucius, and they went through with it, wouldn’t Snape feel left out? The Potions Master did think they were into each other, after all…

‘Harry, look at me,’ the older ordered. ‘I can sense almost all of your feelings, you aren’t even Occluding, you know. And however _tempting_ you are, I didn’t call you here to have sex with you.’

‘Good,’ Harry said, but then realized how that must have sounded, so he added. ‘I’m quite sore after Quidditch anyways—’

‘You don’t have to pretend around me, I know you quite well, in case you forgot,’ Lucius laughed. ‘Our only common ground is Severus, and it’s okay that you don’t want to have sex with me.’

‘But then I wonder why I’m here,’ Harry said, now daring to look at the blond, a bit relieved.

‘Maybe we should work on our relationship for the sake of Severus,’ Lucius said, putting a napkin into his lap with elegance. ‘So that we can build more common ground than him only. And that we don’t bite each other's head off should anything go wrong.’

‘Oh, and… how do you suppose we can achieve that?’ It wasn’t a bad plan, in fact, Harry did see a good enough reason behind the intentions of his dinner partner, but he couldn’t imagine how that should come to pass.

‘I think… talking during a meal for two weeks should work miracles.’

‘I see. Okay,’ Harry said, but then… they spent like twenty minutes in silence after that, Harry buttering his third toast rather than to look up, and Lucius dismantling his steak with precision.

‘Draco… you know Draco played really well today. I…I mean the Quidditch,’ Harry tried to come up with something but stuttered when he did.

‘I see. I’m glad,’ Lucius said, and the topic was killed.

Another silence, before Lucius asked, now seemingly finished with his meal.

‘Is the meal satisfactory enough? I have the feeling some elves like to just slack off sometimes.’

‘Oh no, it’s quite fine. More than fine. It’s… great,’ Harry babbled, making it even more ridiculous.

Then, Lucius looked at him, and how uptight he was, and gave away to a small laughter. Which, then led Harry to give a small smile back. They were ridiculous. They couldn’t converse like this.

‘I figure this isn’t a way to make you relax,’ Lucius said. ‘Maybe you could pick a Muggle activity you enjoy, and we could converse while doing that.’

‘A Muggle one?’ Harry asked, not really understanding.

‘Well, I taught you enough of the Wizarding world, now it’s your turn to teach me,’ Lucius shrugged.

‘I just… can’t possibly consider you anywhere near a Muggle activity,’ Harry admitted.

‘I might not be delighted to do everything you consider fun, Harry,’ the blond admitted, now standing up. ‘But I honestly like to flatter myself thinking I’m an intelligent man. And as such, I should gather knowledge in the fields I’m lacking, or do you disagree?’

Harry even caught an interest via their link, even if Lucius tried to act nonchalant about it. Damn! The blond really wanted to try out new things, and was fascinated by Muggle technology, but how come he never got close to it, like Arthur did?

Then Harry thought about it. Abraxas Malfoy probably would have killed his son for the interest. Then, the followers of the Drak Lord wasn’t supposed to be fascinated by anything Muggle, and Lucius had to raise Draco to be a “proper” wizard too, so he probably couldn’t…

Harry shook his head, trying to think.

He ended up thinking about this summer. When he gave himself a birthday present to go to a Muggle theme-park, and try basically all the games, the rides, shop a lot of stuff and even eat meals that were available. 

He had to convert some of his wizarding inheritance to do so because he didn’t have Muggle money, but it was worth it. And it wasn’t just a birthday present, it was also a gift to himself since he’d never expected to survive the final battle.

‘Could we leave the castle?’ After all, Lucius wasn’t allowed…

‘I have a charm on the Marauder’s Map,’ the blond said. ‘And also a Confondus spell on the Auror who is supposed to watch me today.’

‘So, in theory, we could go to a theme park?’

‘We could. But it’s late, they might not even let us in.’

‘I think I can use a Confondus spell on the personnel at the gate. Or we could just pay them graciously for an exception.’

‘But we still won’t have much time.’

‘I’ll only take you to one place,’ Harry said, smiling. ‘Unless you also want to try Muggle candy.’

‘Maybe just one thing at a time,’ Lucius said, grinning back.

‘Right, then we should go to an Apparating point.’

It took them two hours roughly to get back, but Lucius was positively laughing with Harry, even when they returned.

‘Imagine, people work there for a living! I didn’t know scaring people could be a profession!’ he told Harry, their mood much lighter than before.

‘You probably would be great in it,’ Harry laughed, saying back. The Horror House he enjoyed alone in the summer, true, but with Lucius it was hilarious.

The Pureblood pointed out the Muggles dressed as witches and skeletons to scare them, and how they didn’t even know that decor was sometimes quite accurate - they even had Claudrons, Wizarding Hats, and Dementor-looking monsters for example, and Harry couldn’t help but think it was a great thing to take the blond there.

‘Imagine the Prophet Headlines, and people’s reaction to it!’ Lucius said, seemingly composed, but even his eyes were smiling, which was rare. ‘Lucius Malfoy, head of the Malfoy line, ex-Death Eater, upon his release of Azkaban, lands job in a Muggle Theme Park, keeping his old Death-Eater Custume to… scare people for money!’

They both laughed, but then, Harry asked before he could realize he was ruining the mood.

‘I still don’t understand why did you join him. Voldemort.’

That made Lucius go from entertained to deadly serious, but he did answer after a short pause.

‘I was stupid.’

‘You are one of the most intelligent people I know, and it doesn’t add up.’

Lucius looked at him, his expression now pained. But he didn’t cover it up, as he easily could, letting Harry see.

‘I was stupid not because I wanted to join him on my own volution. I was stupid because I had enough of my parents and even Narcissa’s parents telling me I’m not a man enough to be a Malfoy and the husband of Narcissa. Back then I didn’t choose to curse Muggles or Half-Bloods just for the sake of it, you see, and didn’t have an heir yet, being secretly gay. I wanted respect. I wanted to cover up the fact that I was… say, more sensitive than everyone else. I even got Severus to join in because I thought it would bring me power.’

It seemed as if Lucius forgot Harry was there, now more or less talking about to himself, but then he looked at Harry pointedly.

‘You know, Bella caught me with a guy once. And she was already a member, being… _Tom’s_ girlfriend. That woman was shit bat crazy from the start. I could only make sure she shut up about me to Narcissa and their parents if I did better as a follower than her, convincing her I wasn’t a good husband but at least a man enough to stay married to her sister.’

Harry could only imagine.

‘Now, don’t go ahead and think it’s not my fault,’ Lucius warned, seeing his expression. ‘And—’

‘I’m not pitying you,’ Harry quickly made a gesture before Lucius could say. ‘I was just thinking what I would have done in your place.’

‘You would have told off Riddle straight off, cursing him out of your house, probably.’

‘He went to your house?’ Harry realized it was a stupid question right when he said it, but Lucius didn’t berate him. In fact, he sighed.

‘Not only Riddle but his whole gang. They were paying visits to any Pureblood family who didn’t join yet and pressure them. Eventually, you had to realize you were the only one left out and join in if you weren’t a member yet, out of fear if nothing else. Peer pressure and all that. But I would have joined anyway.’

‘And then…’ Harry almost asked, but then bit his lip. He shouldn’t test Lucius’s patience, not after he was this honest already.

‘You can ask me anything. The most that can happen is that I won’t answer.’

‘I… not to be offensive, but then why give Riddle’s diary to Ginny my second year? You didn’t want him back—’

‘Oh, that,’ Lucius smiled, but that was probably a cover, because this time, his eyes stayed cold. ‘I was trying to kill you, and some of your friends.’

‘Me?’

‘Well, Hermione bested Draco in classes, I could have taken her to be a collateral damage, and one Weasley or two,’ Lucius told him, making Harry gape. ‘Well, you don’t have to look that shocked, you asked and I want to be clear about it.’

‘And what had you against me? It wasn’t even my second year yet when you decided, so it’s not like you was angry I beat Draco at Quidditch. What you had against me?’

‘You were the son of Lily Potter.’

‘Usually, Snape comes up with my father—’

‘Oh no, I hated your mother. A Muggleborn with all the talent a Pureblood usually just wants and.’

‘And?’ Harry still didn’t get it. There must have been so many Muggleborns who were talented, it’s not a reason to go ahead and try to kill their child…

‘She was the one who broke Severus. Potter didn’t help either, but she hurt him more than Potter ever could. Because she had Severus’s trust and still turned on him for a stupid mistake. I had to…’ now Lucius stopped as if he couldn’t carry on.

‘To do what?’ Harry asked, forgetting where they were and even that who they were. Nothing existed but the answer he was waiting for.

‘I had to listen to Severus when… he talking to me about her. Even though he didn’t want show how much he was broken because of her, I saw—’

‘Snape called my mom a Mudblood, just to hurt her.’

‘A mistake, true,’ Lucius nodded. ‘But she never forgave him for it, and that was on her. And when you came to school, and Severus was mentioning you, it was as if she was back—’

‘That’s what Snape told you?’ Harry felt his heart drop. If Severus saw it this way—

‘No, of course. He saw your mom as a saint,’ the blond raised his arm to calm Harry. ‘But that’s exactly why I hated her so much.’

‘Were I to break up with Severus, you’d kill me,’ Harry realized, half asking half stating.

‘I prefer not to kill people, contrary to popular belief,’ Lucius said, now smiling. ‘But I had thought about it when it seemed you’d end up dating Neville Longbottom for real, I must admit.’

Harry remembered how ugly their fight got then. So that was it? Lucius was so in… _love_ with Snape?

‘Killing me in the second year because of my mom is still too harsh!’ he stated, making the blond wizard laugh.

‘I admit, I was also bored,’ Lucius said. ‘And secretly wanted the school board to fire Dumbledore too, because of political reasons.’

‘Jesus. And why?’ the raven-haired wizard asked in a small voice.

‘To get the school to teach more magic to you. No other wizarding school exists where dark and old magics are not taught, only Hogwarts. And I knew Dumbledore, after his encounter with Grindelwald and Riddle, would never even consider teaching it.’

Harry was now surprised that Lucius cared about that. He certainly had a full education on the topic, as well as he made sure Draco to have too. So what does it matter if other people’s children knew less?

‘I see your confusion. But consider a hundred or two hundred years from now. Wizarding numbers are small, and all the traditions we have, are linked to the so-called “dark” magic, so that our history is rewritten, and everyone forgets. Not only the Malfoy name wouldn’t mean much, but also our roots… certainly, Muggles have Historians and such. We don’t. So if we want it to remain—’

Harry understood. Being a Pureblood wasn’t about just Muggle-hating, in fact, he found to like that Lucius was so keen to save their history.

‘Thank you for being so honest with me,’ he found himself saying, interrupting.

‘I… it’s because of a selfish reason, you realize,’ Lucius told him. ‘I see two possibilities for our… unlikely trio to go. One where I go back to Azkaban, leaving you and Severus together, which would require you to know of these things to take proper care of Severus instead of me too—’

‘I still don’t like the idea of you getting back there,’ Harry said but was ignored.

‘Or,’ Lucius said, looking at him for speaking in the middle of his sentence. ‘We could maybe figure out things for all three of us, and then you should know me enough to trust me somewhat, even if you were a fool to ever trust me completely, not after our shared history, and not with both of us being in love with the very same man.’

Lucius Malfoy straight out admitting his feelings for Snape and it still wasn’t the end of the world. In fact, Harry found himself kissing the man for some reason, pulling away only after a time.

‘Good night, Lucius.’

‘And to you, Harry,’ the blond smiled, letting him go.

Well, there still was two weeks they were to spend on “detention”, together…

‘Harry, you have a spider web in your hair,’ Ginny noticed, just as soon as he got to the Common Room. ‘That damn Flitch made you clean something really old and disgusting?’

Harry almost laughed. It was a fake spider-web, surely, from the Haunted House. But then, if he told his friends that, he’d expose how he spent time with Lucius, and since it was so new, and so… strange, he decided to keep it for himself.

‘It wasn’t entirely… terrible,’ he said, thinking it really wasn’t. If this counted as his first date with Lucius Malfoy, it went quite well, considering.


	3. Chapter 17 - Dirty Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm worried about my own sanity, given what I've just written for this chapter. It's _really_ PWP. I apologize beforehand, so you guys can ready yourselves for what's coming. No, you probably can't. *laughs*
> 
> +Now I update the "original" version and this "AU" on different days, so I can spend more time working on them, which might mean a bit less frequent releases but hopefully more enjoyable content on return.
> 
> Thank you all for your awesome comments and kudos! Given how I wasn't sure I should even write this AU at all, you guys have been nothing but supportive, even if I'm possibly crazy making stuff like this up (I dare you guys to read on if you don't believe me...). THANK YOU! XOXO

‘Hi, so I want your opinion on something,’ Harry burst into the rooms of Lucius, kind of rude, but the blond just humored him, putting down a book he was reading. By the looks of it, it was at least 600 years old, and Harry was almost sure Lucius stole it from the Restricted Section, given that he wasn’t allowed to read books on…

‘The Magical Ingredients in Muggle Mesopotamia?’ Harry mused, looking at the title. ‘Sounds like the most boring topic.’

‘Not so fast with the judgment, young man,’ Lucius warned. ‘Since I’m not allowed magical ingredients, it can be quite useful. Too bad that Pince cursed the book to yell at me every half an hour to take it back, otherwise I’d love reading it. So what was with the dramatic entrance?’

‘I have this property. I want you to look at it, and tell me if it’s salvageable, or if it has any furniture or anything that is.’

‘The Black’s I assume,’ Lucius said. ‘But why me? As proprietor, you could ask people working with renovations and they’d give you a professional option.’

‘You and they are different. You’d save anything Magic if you can, why they all just think about profit. Please, would you do it for me?’

It was Thursday, and they have been on 3 dates already with the blond, and Harry wanted this to be the forth.

‘Of course,’ Lucius grabbed his cloak. ‘I really like Antiques anyway.’

‘Plus, I have to live somewhere, and there are only two months left for me to find a place, and I was thinking,’ Harry told him as they were walking to the edge of Hogwarts to Apparate.

‘That you live there?’

‘Only temporary, and fix the place up. Then sell it for a better price than basically nothing which I’d get for it now. But it might be too far gone to save—’

‘I expect a Pureblood Family Home might be worth a try to fix,’ Lucius said. ‘I mean with magic, you can easily repair almost anything—’

‘Keep that attitude in mind until you actually see the place,’ Harry said, sighing. ‘It hasn’t been really cleaned properly, not to mention repaired.’

‘Don’t you have an elf to come with the property too?’ Lucius wondered, now placing his hand on Harry’s - Harry had to Apparate them both since Lucius didn’t know the location of Grimmauld’s Place.

‘That’s… the short answer is yes, but otherwise, no. He’s useless to me.’

‘That’s a first,’ Lucius remarked. ‘An useless elf.’

‘Well, Kreacher did help in the Battle of Hogwarts, bless his soul, but that was more because of his loyalty to Regulus Black rather than me, I’m guessing. I mean that he’s useless around the house,’ Harry explained, now making Lucius eye him strangely. ‘What?’

‘I need to see the estate and this elf first,’ Lucius, however, didn’t share his thoughts yet. ‘Then I’ll tell you.’

Fair enough, Harry thought, grabbing the knob of the door.

‘It’s bad. Like, I know that already, I just need to know how bad,’ he said to Lucius before entry.

‘Now you’re just stalling,’ Lucius said. ‘Let me judge it for myself, otherwise, what’s the point of me being here?’

Harry wanted to let Lucius do just that, but remembering the Malfoy Manor, even if Harry was a captive there, and it must not have been in it’s prime, because of Voldemort living there at the time, still - he was reluctant because he was thinking how lowly could Lucius think of the place.

‘Well, all I’m saying is that you should… prepare yourself, that’s all,’ Harry muttered, now entering with Lucius on his heals.

‘Okay, give me the tour then,’ Lucius glanced at the coat-hanger like it was toxic, and didn’t remove his cloak rather than to place it on the thing, so Harry’s heart sank.

Yes, it was in a bad shape, but because of Sirius, Harry still liked the place. He wanted it to have a second chance to be nice and homey again, willing to work on it, but so far judging by Lucius’s reaction, it might not be possible, after all.

They went through the dining room, the kitchen, the drawing room, and lastly, the bedrooms and bathrooms, without Lucius saying a single word.

‘It has four stories, so we’re—’

‘Harry, access this building with your magic, you’re the owner, it shouldn’t be hard,’ Lucius said, now just looking at him.

‘I… why exactly?’ Harry tried, but the blond just shook his head.

‘Just close your eyes, and trust me,’ the blond smiled an evil smile.

Harry did so, although quite unnerved. Noone knew where they were, and Lucius was still a criminal. If he wanted to kill Harry and escape, this would be a perfect chance. Then again, he could escape the Aurors easily any day, without killing Harry, which he didn't favor. Anymore. Or so he claimed.

‘Now investigate. The magic is fainter than usual, but that’s because it wasn’t properly taken care of. But you should still be able to feel it if I do since I might be older and stronger, but the house belongs to you.’

‘Oh my god!’ Harry exclaimed as he did as he was told and he realized why they were having this routine at all. ‘There is a fifth floor!’

‘I suspect that there is a secret passage that leads there, and we could find it with a little work, but it’s much easier just to ask that terrible elf of yours to take us there and disarm every possible curse that’s placed on it,’ Lucius said.

‘Right. Kreacher! Show yourself!’ Harry said, and the elf reluctantly appeared.

‘What is it now,— Master Lucius Malfoy! What brings you to the home of Bla—’

‘I’m the guest of your Master, elf,’ Lucius said in a cold voice.

‘OH! It’s but such an honor for Kreacher to meet you, Master Malfoy—’

‘I hear you aren’t a really good elf,’ Lucius then carried on, giving a disgusted look to the creature. ‘I was wondering if you could do some work for us, but maybe you’re incapable or not willing to properly follow instructions…’

‘But I am, sir! Master Potter is just surrounding himself with Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors, and is not worthy—’

‘Not anymore, he isn’t,’ Lucius injected. ‘Why do you think I’m here, elf?’

‘But of course, sir, Kreacher is most glad,’ the creature even bowed low. ‘I’ll do whatever both Master Malfoy and Potter wants me to do.’

Lucius glanced at Harry, sending a simple message via the connection.

‘Give him direct orders he cannot disobey.’

‘You could give the orders, and he wouldn’t even consider disobeying them, or so it seems,’ Harry argued, standing there silently while they mentally conversed.

‘It’s your elf.’

‘Um… Kreacher,’ Harry said. ‘I want you to take us to the fifth floor, but disarm every curse or hex that could hurt us.’

‘And if there is a Boggard or Pixies or such unpleasant surprises,’ Lucius added. ‘Take care of them first so that I and Mr. Potter can access that part of the building without any trouble.’

‘But of course, sirs. It will be just a second, and Kreature will do all that,’ the elf said, disapparating with a pop.

‘See, I suck at ordering him around,’ Harry said, now feeling sulky he forgot that although the curses Kreacher might disarm, there could be other dangers as well.

‘Well, you did start with an “Um”, that wasn’t great,’ Lucius smirked, but then turned to look him in the eye. ‘But otherwise, it’s all about treating them properly.’

‘I do treat—’

‘No. They don’t expect compassion or concern, Harry. They expect direct orders.’

Harry kept himself from sighing. Yes, Lucius was right, and he could just order Kreacher around, and the elf would be better off. Dobby was different then most, even if Harry preferred him, he can’t except elves to be the same…

‘I’m still just a half-blood, who socializes with Muggle-borns and Blood-traitors as you just heard, and who was told that is not worthy of the name of Black, though,’ he eyed Lucius. ‘Just you appearing made Kreacher happier than I’ve ever seen him look, you know.’

Lucius was about to answer, but the elf appeared again.

‘It’s ready, sirs,’ he said that in the plural, but was looking at Lucius. ‘I can take you there now.’

‘But before I let you take me anywhere, it seems we have an issue here,’ Lucius said. ‘You don’t address your Master properly. Maybe he should just set you free, you’re useless to him, after all.’

‘BUT!’ Kreacher throw himself on the ground, tears in his eyes. ‘Kreacher has been serving this house for hundreds of years! All his life! And Kreacher couldn’t leave the portraits and belongings of those Masters to rot! PLEASE!’

Lucius just smiled and looked at Harry.

‘You might beg me, but I have nothing to do with you,’ the blond told the elf, now grabbing the edge of his cloak that was the closest to Kreacher and pulling it further with probably faked disgust. ‘And just so you know, no Pureblood family would take you for the rest of your miserable life. Noone wants an elf that can’t even serve its Master.’

‘Oh, but Master Potter, you have a heart! You cannot do this to poor Kreacher, you wouldn't!’

Harry pitied the elf but realized Lucius already won this fight for him, now all he had to do was just reap the rewards.

‘Oh, but you don’t know me anymore, Kreacher. I have been re-Sorted to Slytherin, and my best friends are Draco Malfoy and Ginevra Weasley, just as Mr. Malfoy here is a close acquaintance or Severus Snape,’ Harry explained. ‘They all led me to believe that I should get rid of you—’

‘Oh no! Severus Snape was good friends of Master Regulus, knowing Kreacher! He wouldn’t advise Master Potter to—’

‘But yes, he would,’ Harry lied. ‘And even if I’m friends with Hermione Granger as well, who happens to be a Muggle-born, I now realize I deserve respect. I’m the heir of the Potters, you know about them, as well as of the Blacks, and I won’t tolerate someone like you, disobeying me and cursing at me like I’m no better than a Muggle—’

It was nonsense talk, and Harry hated himself for it, but if it at least shut Kreacher up, and made the elf a tad bit obedient, Harry would be so relieved. He’d probably had to move into Grimmauld’s Place after school, and his life would be a hundred times easier, maybe even the renovation of the estate too, if he could get Kreacher to help him.

‘Oh, NO! Kreacher is the most sorry! Kreacher will never misbehave again! But Master Potter should have mercy, Kreacher thought—’

‘I don’t believe you are,’ Harry said, before glancing at Lucius for directions, who just shook his head, unnoticed by the very upset elf.

‘Kreacher will change! He will do anything! He’s old but knows how to serve well!’

‘By what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t say so,’ Lucius said, sliding one of his elegant fingers over a dirty cabinet in the hall, where they were standing, gathering dust. ‘You realize, elf, that I must advise Mister Potter here to get rid of this estate? If he burnt the house to the ground and sold the unplottable land in itself he’d get more than he would get for this dreadful, dirty, unkept—’

Now Kreacher was so agitated he grabbed Harry’s leg, crying.

‘Kreacher will polish everything! He will! Master Potter can’t do this!’

‘So you deemed it’s worth salvaging and if Kreacher cleans up and mends things?’ Harry asked Lucius in their minds, with a small smirk hidden behind his neutral expression.

‘Indeed,’ Lucius answered. ‘You have to do work too, of course, and it will take much time, I except, but the furniture was once really nice, and now if better kept, they can be classified as Wizarding Antiques, worth a lot more. I can’t wait to see the fifth floor. If I suspect well, the Black Library's there if not more.’

Damn if it wasn’t good that Harry brought Lucius along. If Grimmauld’s Place had a Library, Harry wanted to see that, if nothing else. And Kreacher now seemed to be willing to cooperate, so Harry said.

‘I’ll think about it, Kreacher. I’m even willing to let you take us to the fifth floor and clean this house, mend the furniture as much as you can. And if by the time I come back, and I’m satisfied with your progress, I might be willing to be convinced not to get rid of both you and this estate.’

Now Kreacher was hugging his legs, desperately.

‘Master Potter, I knew you were kind to Kreacher! Thank you! I won’t let my master down, I will proove—’

‘Whatever,’ Harry stepped away. ‘Now, for the fifth floor—’

‘Of course!’ Kreacher not only took them but _jumped_ at the opportunity to take them.

‘Now you may go and start the cleaning then, from the lower parts of the house,’ Harry sent the elf away, then turned to look around. It was the most elegant part of the house yet, and the first double doors Harry opened led to a waste collection of books.

‘Damn, I owe you so much for coming with me,’ he muttered to Lucius, who was now standing next to him.

‘I imagine I could be convinced to accept some kind of reward afterward,’ the blond smiled at him, then went to the closest shelf and examined its contents. ‘You also should make Kreacher list the books you own. I except it’s the best part of the estate, these collections not half-bad if I say so myself.’

‘You’re welcome to borrow any of them,’ Harry said, moving up to the selves as well. ‘That way at least you have screaming-free readings as well.’

Lucius chuckled and said.

‘I’d kiss you, but I feel the dust on my skin and everywhere on my clothes.’

‘Afraid a little bit of dirt, Mr. Malfoy?’ Harry found himself saying before he could grasp whom he was talking with and why would he say anything like that.

But despite how he imagined Lucius would be offended or furious with him for it, it had the opposite effect: one moment Harry was standing in front of the shelf, ready to revoke his disrespectful comment and apologize, the other he was grabbed and planted on the top of an old and fairly dusty desk, Lucius on the top of him, kissing him and pressing him to the unclean surface, ravaging his mouth.

‘Just so you know, I could have used a cleaning charm on this desk,’ Lucius told him with a faint smile. ‘But you provoked me.’

‘I guess I did,’ Harry smiled back, not at all upset that dust-bunnies were probably both in his hair and on his clothing now. ‘And that makes me wonder if there is a way to provoke you… even further.’

‘Oh yes?’ Lucius asked, kissing down on his throat. ‘I remember, just a couple of days ago, you were terrified of me doing anything with you if Severus wasn’t there.’

True, but now Harry pushed on the desk, feeling Lucius’s erection against his hips, being under the blond felt _very_ different as opposed to how he felt in the start of the week.

‘Maybe we should try and see, if it’s really terrible without Severus,’ he suggested, licking his lips.

‘We really shouldn’t,’ the blond said, making Harry think nothing will happen, but then there was a pause and Lucius only got rid of his cloak, letting it fall to the dirty ground. ‘But I guess I don’t have enough self-preservation to pass on an offer like this.’

And he was back to kissing Harry again, this time harder, and more to the point, when simultaneously helping Harry to open his school uniform, devouring the naked flesh of Harry there first, then opening the raven-haired-wizard’s trousers, running his long fingers along Harry’s shaft, making him arch into the touch with a set of curses.

‘Damn, Lucius.’

‘I must say, Harry,’ the wizard laughed close to his ear, now gently biting into his earlobe, making Harry squirm under him. ‘Dirty places really make you responsive. Or is it just me?’

Harry chuckled, but then cursed again, as Lucius brushed a finger over the tip of his cock, turning him on even more. Suddenly his whole body felt like it was on fire, especially where the Pureblood’s hands were on him, not really leaving coherent thoughts in Harry’s mind to answer easily.

‘I guess… both.’ Just closing his eyes and thinking how a really neat wizard would do this with him in a shit-hole of a place without its former glory was too much.

‘Hm, you like to soil me, don’t you,’ Lucius groaned back at him, when Harry planted his fingers into his hair, pulling on the blond locks to bring Lucius down to another kiss.

‘Gods, YES,’ Harry's eyes shut tight when Lucius’s fingers now started to moving around him in a rhythm, fingers squeezing him, making it unbearable to be tortured like that.

‘Then… if I was to go down on my knees… and let you cum into my mouth, you’d be ultimately making me dirty.’

Lucius didn’t even have to do it, Harry was now so turned on he could just come just thinking about it.

‘Yes, Lucius, don’t stop,’ he muttered, realizing Lucius must have been the _best_ in giving hand-jobs because he never felt this good receiving one from anyone else.

‘Don’t cum just yet,’ Lucius, however, took away his skillful hand and pressed his own erection through his clothing to Harry’s. ‘Maybe you could order me to do what you want. Just as you learned to order that elf of yours.’

If they weren’t un the situation they were, and Harry wasn’t so close, he’d wouldn’t believe the elder Malfoy just said what he did. It was unthinkable that a Malfoy, and Lucius especially would offer something like that to anyone, let alone Harry.

But, the blond had a very guarded and secretive side of his personality, a side that Harry only began to suspect after their dates, and it might have been how Lucius _liked_ to be treated in private, after all, Snape was on top with the two of them, Harry knew that much.

‘You enjoy following… orders,’ he whispered to Lucius, and it wasn’t a question.

‘Yes. If I can… trust one’s discretion well enough,’ Lucius whispered back.

‘Then get on your knees right now and suck me until I… cum,’ Harry said, not believing he’d ask something like that, but he just did.

‘Hm,’ Lucius sucked on his neck. ‘Not convincing enough.’

‘Just fucking do as I say!’ Harry said, giving a forceful kiss to the blond now, pulling on his hair.

And to his surprise, Lucius detached himself from him, and kneeled, looking up. Harry climbed off the desk, only reclining on it now, looking down at those icy set of eyes, meeting his own.

‘I’m afraid I forgot the rest… of your commands,’ Lucius smiled at Harry cheekily, almost making Harry moan just with that.

‘Now _suck me,_ ’ Harry commanded, now not even hesitating something like that. In fact, he was so far gone, that he added even more. ‘ _Suck me hard and swallow everything I give you, Lucius._ ’

Lucius groaned, and wrapped his mouth around Harry’s length, holding the base with his hands, while palming himself with his left, through the fabric of his pants that they still didn’t remove.

‘Don’t touch yourself, I didn’t say you could,’ Harry said, kicking Lucius’s hand away, making the blond now groan around his cock, the vibrations hitting him hard. He almost came just from the sensation.

‘Maybe… you could fuck my mouth,’ Lucius didn’t even let go of him to speak but used their mental link to say.

‘Maybe… I should,’ Harry though back, now moving his hips to get even deeper, although he doubted it was possible. But Lucius knew his way around a cock, and not only he didn’t choke, but he managed to relax his throat further to accommodate him.

‘ _Fuck, Lucius!_ ’ Harry came so hard he didn’t even have the time to warn the blond about it, and the sensations were so overwhelming, he didn’t just came, but had to ride it out, and Lucius must have swallowed around him, sucking him, because it felt incredible, and his cum not even spilling from the blond’s mouth, just as he ordered him to.

‘Damn, let me take care of you,’ Harry realized a couple of seconds later, when his post-orgasmic mind started to turn again, that Lucius’s pants were soiled with pre-cum, but he was still erect, unsatisfied.

‘No, no, just order me to take care of it for myself,’ Lucius said, unspelling his zipper, and palming himself. ‘Say my name in Parseltongue.’

That was a really good and possibly kinky idea, except Harry didn’t speak that language, not anymore, not since he wasn’t a Horcrux.

‘I… can’t,’ he looked at the blond apologetically.

‘You just did. You were speaking it,’ Lucius now kneeled there looking up at him, with his member in his hand, his eyes blown with desire.

Harry would have asked, surprised if he was. But ordering a snake around - and if Lucius wasn’t a very elegant, quite exquisite yet possibly deadly snake of the House of the Serpents than who was - he might have done it without thinking to do it.

‘ _Look at me, while you pleasure yourself, Luciusss,_ ’ he said, not quite sure if it was working or not, but the blond didn’t show any sign of discontent, so he just went on, leaning to the desk, watching the Pureblood. ‘ _And know that it is I who owe you. Even your cock in your hand belongs to me now._ ’

‘Whatever you saying…’ Lucius panted, now closing his eyelids, really feeling it. ‘Don’t stop.’

‘ _What an entertaining snake you are, Luciusss,_ ’ Harry went on, now a strange smile on his face. ‘ _I might be tempted just to keep you too, after this._ ’

Then, Lucius blinked his eyes open with force, looking up at him.

‘Am I allowed to cum?’

‘ _Yes, go ahead, Luciusss,_ Harry agreed, now keeping the eye contact, which Lucius kept even while heaving hard into his hand, his hips bucking, his lips deeply red as he bit them, and then he came, his cum spluttering to the dirty ground, to his clothes, and even to Harry’s leg.

Harry smiled, waiting for the blond to fully ride out the orgasm, then when Lucius stopped moving, he used a wandless cleaning charm both on them, and helped Lucius up just to passionately kiss the man, who just groaned by his touch.

‘That was… great,’ he told the blond, still tasting himself on the kiss so he went ahead and cleaned Lucius’s mouth too.

‘Thank you,’ Lucius smiled a knowing smile at him because of that, making Harry blush deep. ‘Although you might prefer me with a... dirty mouth.’

‘Jesus,’ Harry muttered. ‘Don’t start again or we’ll never finish.’

‘As you wish,’ Lucius said, now his smile showing teeth. ‘You know I didn’t think you could… be as commanding as Severus.’

‘I… didn’t know I could,’ Harry admitted. ‘It just happened.’

‘I’m glad I bring out such parts of you,’ Lucius said without being even ashamed of it. ‘And the Parseltounge— I heard you were capable but never really anticipated to hear it, and especially not… like this.’

That made Harry think, and he was a bit worried.

‘It’s something Voldemort did. Are you sure it’s not because of him that you enjoyed it so much?’ he wondered, pushing the question against Lucius like an invisible weapon. _And didn’t you lie about not wanting to join him when you’re so impressed by the same talent?_ Harry wanted to ask as well but couldn’t.

‘It was never... sexy the way he did it. And he never spoke to me like that. But you… corrupting the famous Harry Potter to become an heir of Salazar you probably are, speaking it, I was afraid I’d lose my sane mind because of it.’

Just talking about it Lucius’s pupils became huge again, and Harry saw. It wasn’t Voldemort doing it to Lucius, it was him, it wasn’t a lie.

‘You are corrupting me, aren’t you?’ he mused, now kissing Lucius again.

‘Happily, whenever you wish,’ Lucius whispered into his ear, making him shiver.

‘Damn it, we should head back to the castle, before I’m turned on again,’ he muttered, and Lucius laughed.

‘You could come back with me, and have a bath with me, I have the password for the teacher’s bath, it’s even better than the Perfect’s or my the one linked to my private rooms,’ Lucius offered. ‘And we could get clean and... not so clean there if you wish.’

Harry was sure Lucius was doing this on purpose. Making him slowly go mad with want… again.

‘Alright, I’m finding Kreacher to tell him to catalog the library. Meet me in five minutes in front of the front door.’

Then, they went back to the castle, and Harry went back to his dorm to grab some clean clothes and a towel when Draco saw him.

‘Oh dear Merlin, Harry, you’re filthy all over. Especially your hair… what does Flitch make you do, clean the Room of Requirement or something?’

Harry could have laughed what Draco would say if he knew, but wisely shut up about it.

‘I’m going to take a good bath anyway,’ he told his roommate.

‘No, this cannot go on. I’m going to my father right now, to revoke the detention he handed you, or I’ll never speak with him again.’

‘Dray, that’s—’

‘No, and you’re coming with me!’ the blond took his hand and forcing Harry to come with him. ‘It’s better if that asshole sees how Flitch forces the worst jobs on you.’

This could very wrong very fast, Harry realized since it was him that Lucius was waiting for at his quarters, so if Draco knocked, and Lucius opened the doors, looking probably even more filthy than Harry himself…

‘Mooncalf, I can take care of myself, and stand up to anything I don’t want to do, it’s really unnecessary and frankly patronizing for you to drag me around the castle—’

‘I don’t care, I’ve had enough of you cleaning shit,’ Draco muttered, being protective. Which was sweet, but ultimately very wrong in this particular situation.

‘Father!’ Draco wasn’t even giving proper respect to said man, hitting the door with his fist twice. ‘We need to talk!’

Well, at least this way Lucius knew it wasn’t just Harry standing outside, thank Merlin.

‘I know you’re in there, open this cursed door for the Sake of Salazar!’ Draco knocked even vehemently, and then, the door opened, Lucius looking… just as always. Clean and composed and wearing a clean robe and night cloak, as if he didn’t just arrive home with Harry, looking like he went through hell and back.

‘Dragon, it’s unbecoming to make a scene at this hour in the evening,’ he warned, now his eyes wandering off to Harry, giving him a look.

‘Well! I wouldn't, but it’s your fault! Flitch let go of Harry just now, and look at him! I don’t know what that damned Squib made him clean, but I’m telling you, you have to revoke this nonsense!’

Lucius now was positively smirking, and if it wasn’t about his best friend, Harry might have joined in, but he felt sorry that Draco was only trying to protect him, so he stayed neutral.

‘I gave him ten days. There have been people given more and worse. And it’s been only four, I won’t take it back,’ Lucius stated, and Merlin if his words didn’t sound like a promise to Harry’s ear.

‘But—!’

‘As I’ve said, Dray, I’m fine,’ Harry told him. He wanted those other 6 days he had to spend it with Lucius, after all. And if Draco succeeded making Lucius taking them back, this date in the bathroom would be their last. He didn’t want that.

‘I’m— you clearly don’t know what you’re saying!’ Draco said, then in a minute, he looked at Harry, then his father, and _realized_ what was going on. ‘Oh, no, now that just— you were with _him_? All this time? And how did you get so filthy- no, don’t even answer, I better not know!’

By then, Lucius was smiling smugly, and Harry was tempted to do the same.

‘And now I’m keeping you two from taking a bath. Together,’ Draco wasn’t so oblivious after all not to deduce that then when neither negated his previous comments. ‘And I’m making a fool of myself, being here.’

‘But a considerate one, given it’s me you was so worried for—’ Harry said, half-teasing, half-comforting his roommate.

‘Remind me to never do anything for you again,’ Draco grunted, turning on his heels. ‘And don’t you two dare to snog until I turn the corner!’

‘Gods, I’ve raised a complete idiot,’ Lucius mentioned with a small smile that didn’t reflect his words.

‘He did figure it out,’ Harry noted, sighing. At least he didn’t have to sneak to visit Lucius any longer, pretending to feel sorry to go to “detentions”. ‘So can we go now and take the said bath, finally?’

‘Yes, although now I have to burn two sets of robes, having to put them on just so Draco wouldn’t suspect,’ Lucius noted.

‘Such a neat-freak!’ Harry laughed. He couldn’t believe he got this man to suck him off on his knees on the floor of the dirty Black Library, after all.

‘Well, no one forces you to come with me, Harry,’ Lucius said, pretending to leave him.

Harry was tempted to roll his eyes, but let’s face it, he even adored this side of Lucius.

‘Will you— you should fuck me this time,’ Harry found himself saying, as they went, realizing only how much he wanted it when Lucius glanced at him with and entertained smile.

‘Yes, I’d like to,’ he told Harry, making the young-wizard wishing they were already there, instead of just talking about it.

‘Severus doesn’t even know what he’s missing,’ Harry grinned, entering the bath with Lucius, casually noting that the room was indeed huge, just as the tub, and it even had a secluded area, should one prefer showers over bath.

‘I don’t suppose you could lose you Occlumency skills while I’m fucking you, and send him glances of what happening. You know, accidentally, via your connection,’ Lucius now fake-wondered, making Harry laugh.

‘You’re an evil man, Lucius,’ he told the blond, kissing him. ‘But knowing me and my lack of control under such an _overwhelming_ circumstance, I’d say Severus will have a couple of surprising images to deal with this evening…’

‘Merlin, now I just want you that much more,’ Lucius cursed, taking off their clothes with magic, not just banishing them as Snape usually did, but folding them in a neat heap with one wave of his hand, then grabbing Harry’s hand and leading him into the quickly grossing water, and to a place where there was a sitting area under the bubbles. ‘But I should get you clean first.’

Mere minutes later, Harry was moaning into Lucius’s mouth, not really that much cleaner but really-really turned on, now establishing a channel to Snape himself.

‘Harry?’

‘I’m sorry, Severus, but I just… can’t… AH!’ Harry apologized and closed down their channel swiftly, but not before he sent his feeling of the raging hard on and the picture of Lucius kissing him hard to the Potion Master’s side.

Then, even though Severus was brewing previously, he must have put a Stasis Charm around his work, and changed his location, because the next thing Harry knew that Snape connected to him, and now wasn’t leaving Harry’s mind. Not that Harry wanted him to. And Harry could sense Lucius’s touch just as much as simultaneously seeing Severus laying on his bed, now stroking himself.

‘Don’t you think I don’t know you did that on purpose, Harry,’ he said to Harry via their connection. ‘And don’t you dare to end this connection—’

‘I wasn’t going to,’ Harry chuckled, and when Lucius just give him a smile, probably guessing who made Harry laugh, Harry had an even better idea, and he connected the blond in with them too. Now all three of them could sense each other via the link, the… desire, what they were all doing, and feel what the others were experiencing.

‘Severus, I trust we don’t interfere with anything you can’t do later,’ Lucius said, knowing exactly that they were, in fact, keeping Snape from working late.

‘Shut up, and enter him already, Lucius,’ Snape snarled at the blond in such a hot way, that Harry found himself gasping by that, even if Severus wasn’t even there, technically, with them. ‘With the amount of want Potter just hit me with via our connection so- _accidentally_ , I won’t last much longer!’

‘Well then, if I really _must_ ,’ Lucius said, gathering Harry from the water and pushing the raven-haired wizard to a wall which was part of the shower area, the showers automatically activating, spraying hot water on them, while Lucius used a non-verbal lubricating charm. ‘Then I will, as soon as Mr. Potter feels like he’s ready here.’

And he even entered one of his finger in Harry, teasing him.

‘Harry,’ Severus panted, now closing his eyes on his bed, his motions matching Lucius thrusting to Harry, rubbing their dicks together while adding a second finger into Harry’s ass.

‘I’m goddamn ready,’ Harry said, and it was true. Even if Lucius first few thrusts were a bit tight, he just enjoyed it all the more. It was safe to say he was so turned on it loosened him enough.

All three moaned when Lucius finally got to start fucking Harry, the raven-haired wizard’s legs around him, and Lucius’s hand on his hip with a bruising force.

There was no way they would last long, but no one cared. Harry came, then he felt Lucius’s movement becoming more and more jerky, and lastly, Snape probably came just the sight of Lucius losing it, bucking into Harry, orgasm taking over.

‘Sweet Salazar and all the Founders of Hogwarts,’ Lucius muttered to Harry’s neck, running water still hitting them, but neither paid attention. ‘I think we’ve found the possible best use of this mind-link, it’s like feeling 3 orgasms at once.’

‘I should kill you two for doing this to me, but I just can’t,’ Severus answered, now laying spent on his bed.

Harry just smiled, still so overwhelmed to trust himself to speak long sentences.

‘We should repeat this,’ later he noted when he let go of Lucius, and the blond now decided to rinse Harry’s hair with shampoo that came from a pipe right next to the shower-area, getting him clean, after all. ‘I mean—’

‘No!’ Snape now quickly said. ‘I’m going to the castle for the weekend, and you two _aren’t allowed_ to do anything until then.’

Harry glanced at Lucius and saw his own desire back in the blond’s eyes when Severus talked like that. They both found it arousing and… something they had to obey, but Snape didn’t know that.

‘Define "anything"?’ Lucius cheekily asked.

‘Damn you, Lucius, you know! Not anything sexual,’ Severus now ordered, making Lucius wink at Harry.

‘Okay, I won’t fuck your precious student while you’re gone but do blowjobs count—’

‘Damn, not even kissing, you hear, Lucius!’

It was quite funny, and that made the blond just kiss Harry deeply, then say.

‘I’m afraid I already broke the rule, Harry just looks _mouth-watering_ naked,’ Lucius told the Potion Master. ‘If you don’t hurry to meet us quickly, Merlin only knows—’

‘I’ll be there Friday, but the earliest I can make it is at night,’ Severus said, provoked to promise that, and knowing that he was so, but he still did it. ‘But! Don’t have intercourse without me, and don’t contact me until then if you _must have_ it, because I can only free my weekend if I do twice as much work on Friday! And you two aren’t helping it!’

And with that, he was gone.

‘Now he’s angry,’ Harry noted, suddenly feeling bad about contacting Severus without any previous notice.

‘But we’ll see him on Friday, one day early, and he can punish us for it any way he wants,’ Lucius said.

‘Right,’ Harry muttered thinking that should be something to look forward to.

‘Would you wash my hair now?’ Lucius asked, turning around, waiting for him. ‘It’s your fault I’m filthy in the first place.’

‘How could I say no to such nice request,’ Harry joked, taking of the shampoo Lucius used on him, complying nonetheless.

‘Okay, I’m sorry,’ he heard Lucius saying. ‘I’m _begging_ you to be so kind, and please do me the favor to wash my hair, Harry, I always wanted someone to do that.’

‘Stop it,’ Harry said. ‘Or you’ll make me speak Parseltongue again soon, _ordering_ you to stop.’

‘Damn, now I really want to misbehave _badly,_ ’ Lucius muttered, but he was otherwise staying very still, letting Harry take care of him.

Harry wondered how they will survive without “anything” until Snape came to join them, and also, that how was he supposed to get through with his lessons the next day, given that it was Lucius teaching him, but he left that thought alone, thinking he’ll worry when they got there.

‘Shield your eyes I’m rinsing it out,’ he later said, and Lucius just closed his eyes, letting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Dray, tho. The bliss of his ignorance is (a 100%) gone now, and I kinda feel sorry for the poor wizard. Do you guys? XD


	4. Chapter 18 - Games and Sally

‘You look dreadful, Severus,’ Lucius told the man when he finally met them at the blond’s quarters Friday night, hanging his cloak up.

‘Now excuse me, but some of us have real work to do, and—’

‘I was going to offer for us to relax you a bit, don’t be so jumpy, darling,’ Lucius told him, making Snape come to sit with them in the dining room, collapsing to a chair as a bag of potatoes. ‘But just for your information, we have found ourselves a little work to do too.’

‘Yeah, what exactly?’ Severus now mused looking at them, accepting a tea when Lucius summoned a school elf to make some.

‘Well, Harry here, he’s renovating a mansion,’ Lucius said, making Harry probably blush, but the young wizard ignored it, and added to Snape.

‘Only the Grimmauld’s Place,’ he told Snape. ‘I… did you know there was a library on the fifth floor?’

‘Of course,’ Severus told him. ‘But by your question, I take it you didn’t.’

‘And myself,’ Lucius added. ‘Started writing a book that has never been written before!’

‘Oh?’ Snape raised an eyebrow.

‘But only because Harry here is helping me to do it,’ Lucius smiled at the teen. ‘Turns out those who speak Parseltongue, cannot write books about it, because for them it’s understandable as their own native language, and cannot hear what they are saying.’

‘You mean Harry. I’m surprised you still have that skill,’ Snape told him, to which Harry meekly only could state that he is too, probably going really red now again, which now Severus seemingly noticed, but didn’t choose to comment on.

‘So, any Parseltongue cannot write a book for others to learn it, unless they use someone else to run it by. But since it’s extremely rare, and considered a status-prooving language, going back even further more than Merlin—’

‘You are writing the book about it using Phonetics, I’m guessing. So now everyone can learn the basics at least, even if they’ll probably never be totally fluent.’

‘Well, if they invest time, they can learn the rest with actually talking to snakes,’ Lucius shrugged. ‘As far as I’m concerned, I’m documenting an almost dead language, saving it from extinction.’

‘And popularizing the snakes as pets, I’m guessing,’ Snape said.

‘Yes, well, that too,’ the blond smiled. ‘I mean they have nice skin which you can use to make accessories, they have venoms you can cultivate and use as Potion ingredients, and now you can even converse with them.’

‘Maybe I should get you two a pet snake,’ Severus sighed. ‘And you could use it for the language learning, and send it’s shed and venom to me for ingredients.’

‘That’s actually not even a bad idea,’ Harry said. ‘I can get one, just tell me the kind that would be the most useful for you, Sev.’

‘I’ll send you an owl, I’ll have to think about the prices they ask for the venoms, and how often I need them,’ Snape said, seemingly already running calculations in his mind.

‘And you, how is your business?’ Lucius asked, quite casually, but Harry now knew it was a front. Their five days with only the blond made him see things behind the mask Lucius even put up with the three of them.

‘I… it’s going good, but that means a lot of work. And I still also have duties to help Minerva managing Hogwarts, so I’m…’

‘Dead-tired,’ the blond wizard finished. ‘So how about we play a board-game or something, and then go to bed early?’

‘A board-game?’ Severus mused, looking at not even Lucius, but Harry questioningly.

‘Lucius is trying to learn about Muggle culture too. Or, he just says that so he can ask me stupid questions and entertain himself with how irritated I’m getting,’ Harry sighed.

‘It’s actually both,’ the blond beamed at him, sending him a wink too. ‘How about playing Go?’

‘You two play, and I learn the rules first,’ Severus said.

‘Lucius beats me every time, though,’ Harry admitted, to which Snape just asked.

‘Did you two spent any time apart last week at all? You sound like a married couple and I only left for five days.’

‘Jelous?’ Lucius said, charming the Go board and the bowls containing the black and white stones to the table.

‘Maybe,’ Snape said, dragging his chair next to Harry now. ‘I’ll help you, Harry, against this _evil_ man, as soon as I’m capable to grasp what is the goal of this.’

‘Oh, but I’m actually good at this game,’ Lucius smiled. ‘You two together might be not enough to bring me down.’

‘Famous last words, Lucius,’ Snape said now, pouring himself another cup of tea, making Harry laugh.

‘Oh, is that so?’ Lucius was now definitely smirking. ‘Care to make it interesting?’

‘What are you betting on, then?’ Severus said, making Harry mention.

‘I… Sev, I am really bad at this game, and you don’t know the rules—’

‘Hm, _I wonder,_ ’ the Pureblood said. ‘Maybe… If I win, I get to top you. You won’t regret it anyway, but I found the idea _enticing_.’

‘You’re on,’ Snape said, dismissing Harry’s concern. ‘But what do I get if we win?’

‘You won’t,’ Lucius simply said.

‘But if we do? A fair deal is only fair,’ Severus pushed him a bit further, now wearing the same confident expression as the blond on the other side of the table. ‘And if you’re so sure about yourself, you shouldn’t care about this part.’

‘True. Name something you’d have me do then, Severus.’

‘Anything? Your request is—’

‘Anything,’ Lucius stated.

‘You help me brew for a month,’ Snape said.

‘I still have the teaching job, Severus,’ the blond now noted. ‘Harry here—’

‘Is actually quite capable to read the books you give him alone, Lucius. Or you prefer not to do bet on work you aren’t really intent on doing?’

‘You suggest I’m not a good brewer? You taught my son Potions, you know how good he is. Who do you suppose taught him to be good?’

‘You always had an aptitude for Potions, but what I’m saying is that you still never chose to do it. I suspect you think it’s below you.’

‘Oh, no. I just had no reason to brew anything when I could actually buy anything ready, should I need Potions,’ Lucius shrugged. ‘And just to prove it, you’re on for the bet. Although I won’t lose, let me warn you.’

‘Curious,’ Snape said then, letting go of a small laugh. ‘Because I was going to say the same to you, and it doesn’t add up. Someone has to lose.’

‘ _Someone_ has to, indeed,’ the blond smiled back.

Trust those to make a show of a simple friendly board-game as well. Harry couldn’t help but think it was terribly hot how they were even when they bickering at each other like a couple of playground kids, completely forgetting that he should play, and instruct Severus until the Potion Master has a chance to overtake the game from him.

They ended up playing for about an hour, Harry ending up just watching the two play, his head on Severus’s shoulder, who didn’t give any indication he noticed or that he wanted to get rid of him, which was nice.

Also, the two older wizards were snapping clever insults at each other sending them back and forth, which was probably their way of connecting, because neither of them seemed upset, rather just entertained.

‘I’m actually so tired now,’ Lucius said when he lost, a close to a pouting voice, but bearing the loss otherwise well. ‘I think I’ll just postpone shower to the morning and head straight to bed. If you two want to join me—’

‘I’m not so beat I couldn’t take a shower if that’s what you’re trying to help me with,’ Snape mentioned, but the blond just had an answer to that.

‘Yes, but won’t it be better if we spend the morning shower together, all three of us when you’re… more vigorous, in the morning?’

‘This must be me going crazy,’ the Potion Master stated, joking. ‘Lucius Malfoy is being considerate of me.’

That made Lucius laugh.

‘Or I just want to shag you while you’re actually awake.’

‘Well, you didn’t win in the end, so that’s not happening anyway.’

‘Never say never! Come, Harry, if the grumpy bat is so against trying out new things, we can still entertain ourselves, can’t we?’

‘Harry is sleeping next to me tonight,’ however, Snape wasn’t going to let Lucius get away with such comments. ‘In fact, I better sleep in the middle, so you won’t corrupt him any further at least whilst I’m here, that is.’

‘As you wish,’ the Pureblood laughed. ‘But then, you realize, you yourself have to sleep next to me.’

‘I’ll survive _somehow,’_ Snape said in such a voice that all three laughed.

Then, next morning, Harry woke up and realized Lucius was up too, his arm leisurely around Severus’s waist, while the Potion Master was still sleeping turned to Harry, his arm on Harry’s face as if he was holding him for an upcoming kiss. Harry also felt slight magic moving from him to Severus.

‘He’s almost sick, he was so tired. I bet he worked 20 hours a day for the whole week not really eating,’ Harry told Lucius in their minds, now sending a bit more Magic to Severus that he was awake, curing him.

‘He’s leaching off your magic?’

‘Just a bit.’

‘We should let him sleep in, then,’ Lucius said. ‘In fact, he’s so close to you, you shouldn’t move, we don’t want you to wake him. I’ll inform an elf what we want for breakfast.’

‘Lucius, you lost to him on purpose, didn’t you?’ Harry might not have been good in Go, or at least not as good as the blond, but he was good at sensing Lucius’s motives.

‘I’m afraid he knows too, although I gave him just as much run for his money as I could without winning,’ the Pureblood said. ‘But if he doesn’t know yet,—’

‘He won’t know it from me, you shouldn’t even thinking that,’ Harry smiled.

‘I begin to like you more and more, Harry Potter,’ the blond smiled back.

‘Wait until our opinions are different on something until you actually declare that, Lucius,’ the raven-haired wizard warned mockingly.

‘You should agree with everything I say,’ Lucius then said. ‘I’m older, I know better.’

‘You’re trying to play the “respect your elders” card at the age of 50, despite being a wizard who can live up to 135 or hopefully more—’

‘Excuse you, I’m nowhere near 50!’ Lucius noted, just as Harry waited for him to note.

‘You aren’t?’ now he was shitting Lucius, who just shook his head, and theatrically turned to order breakfast for them all.

Then, Snape woke before ten, even though Harry didn’t move to wake him, and they ended up having breakfast, and then back to the Teacher’s Bathroom, but now with all three of them.

They were barely through with the morning routine - Harry and Lucius were taking a bath, and Severus just rather wanted a quick shower, until Lucius joined Snape under the spray, and the Potion Master didn’t say.

‘Lucius, your finger must have _slipped_ , because it’s no somewhere it’s supposed to be.’

‘Oh, I think it’s _exacltly_ where it’s supposed to be,’ the blond gladly murmured, probably twisting his finger, hitting a certain spot, because Snape’s head suddenly snapped back, with a very enticing moan too.

‘Lucius, for the last—damn, take it out!’ Severus said, fighting it, trying to stay in control.

‘I will beat you in a board game sooner or later, Severus dear,’ Lucius stated with his usual confidence. ‘You and I both know it. So just give me my price in advance.’

‘So _not_ happening,’ Snape tried to shake the blond off, but Lucius didn’t let himself to be alienated by that.

‘You already agreed yesterday—’

‘I won yesterday—’

‘You didn’t even know the rules. Just let me, I’ll make you feel good,’ Lucius kissed into Severus’s neck, and must have added another finger because now Snape yelped.

‘Lucius, I won’t be your little bitch, get off me before I curse you!’

But them, the blond sank into his knees and began to substitute his fingers with kisses and slowly replacing them with his tongue.

Snape grabbed the walls in front of him, biting his lips probably trying to muffle his voice, then looking back to Harry over his shoulder, as if sending him a look asking for help.

‘He won’t hurt you, Sev,’ Harry sent the message to the Potion Master. ‘And it’s not a crime if you turn out to like to bottom.’

‘He’s Lucius Malfoy, Harry. He’d make you begin to want him so much you cannot contain yourself anymore, and then he threatens you to take it… all away, making you no better than a heroin-addict, a slave… to him,’

‘I… trust him,’ Harry found himself saying after a pause. ‘You should too.’

By this time, the two others were quite a show to watch, and Severus was panting hard under Lucius’s intrusion into his body, pushing back against the blond’s tongue.

‘Fuck,’ he mutterred, now given up on Harry, his eyes shut closed, his head hanging to the front. Then, Lucius got up, used a spell, and the next thing Snape probably knew was the blond’s cock in him because he stilled.

‘Puch back, Severus,’ Lucius tried to tell him, although Harry wasn’t sure Snape listened.

‘Fuck you.’

‘No, I’m fucking you, so you should push back so I can move, and lessen your pain by giving you pleasure, love,’ the blond just said, not moving yet, probably waiting for the Potion Master to move first.

Harry got out of the bath and slid himself between Snape and the wall he’s been palming heavily, kissing the man to loosen him up a little. Then, he thought better of it, and kissed a trail into Severus’s chest, belly, and arriving at his erect member, he gave it a lick too, before engulfing it into his mouth, as deep as he could go.

‘Ah, you… don’t have to… do this,’ Severus now spoke to him out loud. ‘It’s all the… Lucius’s fault—’

Harry kept ignoring him, now sucking on him, creating a vacuum.

‘Oh, keep that attitude Severus, until I’m done fucking you, and you’ll scream my name when you come the hardest of your life,’ Lucius whispered to him, now pulling out, and probably pushing deeper, because Severus’s hip moved a little bit, and Harry had to use one hand on him to stop Snape from suddenly choking him, keeping him somewhat in place.

‘Harry, I’d rather… you move,’ Snape now only mentally could speak, otherwise, he was too preoccupied with Lucius moving in him, even if it was slow yet, and careful on the Pureblood’s part. ‘Stand up!’

Harry didn’t ask, he just did what he was told.

‘Now… kiss me,’ Snape demanded, and as Harry did, the Potion master moved him closer, and now gripped both of their hard-ons eventually pushing them together.

Harry moaned, finding the wall behind him with his hand to support him, afraid he won’t be able to support himself to such a good feeling otherwise.

‘Help me,’ Snape said, and he must have regretted opening his mouth even for such a short time, because Lucius found a good angle again, and since he wasn’t bitting down on his lips, another strong “fuck!” escaped his mouth.

Meanwhile, Harry obeyed said comments and helped Snape with a hand, their grips tight now on their members brushing together, meeting even closer when Severus moved - which was when Lucius moved behind him.

‘I think you’re quite prepared… Severus,’ the said blond noted after a good amount of sweet torture for all three of them. ‘I’m gonna raise the bar a little here.’

If it was any indication that he was deeply enjoying it, Severus squeezed his eyes shut tightly again, and his grip grew tighter against he and Harry’s cock too, while he was rocking his hips back to meet Lucius more and more frequently.

‘Now, you come for me, Severus,’ Lucius barely had to whisper, and add a bit of force to his words, probably, and Severus was coming hard, leaning in to kiss Harry, although it was just a sloppy one, with Snape losing himself in between them.

Lucius came next, still pushing into the even tighter Severus, who let go of a curse or two, making the blond chuckle.

‘Give me… one second,’ and he was coming hard into Severus, his head snapping back, grunting, riding out his orgasm.

‘Harry, let me,’ Snape got rid of Harry’s fingers still around his member, replacing it with his own, making Harry come just in a couple of strokes, his head bowed to Severus’s chest.

‘Now that’s what I call adorable,’ Lucius noted from behind Snape, winking at Harry when he kissed into Snape’s neck, seemingly content of himself very much.

‘Lucius, you’ll never do this to me ever again, you got it?’ Severus turned to face the blond furiously, yet the other wizard was just smugly smiling at him.

‘Never?’

‘Never.’

‘That’s an awfully long time, Severus,’ not that he seemed worried. ‘And you wanted it, just admit it.’

‘I—’

‘Yesterday, when you offered it as a bet—’

‘You pushed for it—’ Severus said, but then Lucius stepped closer, kissing him roughly.

‘You accepted my ridiculous offer because you wanted me. Then you changed your mind in the middle of the game, chickening out, so I let you win,’ Lucius said firmly, leaning close to Snape’s ear. ‘So I helped you. Now you don’t have to fear it.’

‘Now I have to take another shower,’ Severus noted, which was him saying Lucius was right, as much as he couldn’t admit fully to it. ‘And here I also thought we won’t spend the whole weekend like the last, only having sex.’

‘We could go to a date, of course,’ the blond suggested, stepping next to the shower to Severus to get clean, who just gave him a look, but then smiled when Lucius gave a kiss for sharing. ‘But we might need a disguise for it.’

‘It’s what Lucius calls Muggle clothing,’ Harry smiled at them, but then was dragged in the middle, just under the tub, Severus washing him clean.

‘I can’t even imagine you in Muggle clothing,’ Snape casually told the blond. ‘And what’s even more inconceivable: that why would you wear them.’

‘Harry took me to a Muggle 3D movie theater, just so you know, Severus,’ Lucius said, proud of himself. ‘And I didn’t curse a single Muggle, not even when one tried to steal my wand.’

‘Lucius’s fancy belt - which he insisted on wearing - activated the metal detector, and when they turned over his pockets and saw his wand, they were afraid it could poke someone’s eye out and classified it as a weapon and wanted to take it,’ Harry sighed. ‘I had to use Confundus on 5 Muggles because Lucius wasn’t taking it lightly. But that wasn’t even in the theater, it was in the museum.’

‘Right,’ Lucius smiled. ‘I always confuse the two. There were short films in the museum too, actually, about war.’

‘I’m sorry, but a filthy Muggle body-searched you with his bare hands?’ Severus now asked Lucius, who just smiled.

‘Yes, I was too shocked to actually spell him away from me fast and by the time I considered killing or Obliviating him, he was done,’ Lucius admitted. ‘And they had white gloves on, the lot of them.’

‘That’s still not okay,’ Snape argued, looking at the both of them. ‘The only one who is allowed to touch you is me, not some random Muggle—’

‘Oh, is that so?’ the blond said, teasing, seemingly happily with Snape sudden reaction to the news.

‘And Harry. But that’s it, and if you don’t curse the next Muggle stepping up to body-search you, I will.’

Then, of course, some kissing ensued, but a little bit later they all were clean again and determined to stay that way for a while.

‘So, were you serious about watching a movie, Luc?’ Severus asked, fully clothed again to Harry’s disappointment.

‘Might as well. I doubt you can wiggle around much this weekend, darling,’ the blond said, giving a squeeze to Severus’s arse before the other wizard could stop him.

‘I’m completely fine,’ Snape said with a straight face, probably hiding a bit of discomfort.

‘I might have been too gentle then,’ Lucius smiled, then added with a grin. ‘No worries, next time, then.’

‘There won’t be—’

‘It was the fuck of your life and you’re such a child trying to deny it.’

‘You’re not that good,’ the Potion Master stated, however.

‘But with Harry on your other side, I am. And I love to bottom, so it’s not a problem, but you could at least own up to your desires, Severus,’ now Lucius seemed to be a bit irritated if not upset.

Harry almost jumped into the middle of the two, thinking Snape will surely kill the other, but then Severus just muttered.

‘It was much better then I expected, there you. Mind you, I never inserted anything where your oh-so-kindly put your cock, so it might have been the new sensation, not you, you bastard.’

Then, Lucius chuckled.

‘I’m sorry. You said “much” better, not only better and my mind remained there. What were you saying?’

‘Harry, grab some clothes, we better be at the pictures, I don’t want to listen to this asshole anymore.’

‘”Much better,” he said,’ Lucius smirked at Harry. ‘I definitely think that means he wants a repeat soon.’

‘I’m gonna spell you mute Luc, as I should have done it a long time ago.’

‘I’ll hex you back and you don’t want a vagina instead of a cock for a week. I’ve been told it’s uncomfortable.’

‘There is a spell for that?’ Harry wondered out loud now, and the blond smile widened, now coming close to him.

‘You wanna try, you just have to ask me, Harry.’

‘Severus is right, we better get you some entertainment to shut up finally,’ Harry mused, only making Lucius laugh.

‘Can’t help it if I’m so happy,’ the blond said. ‘Even if I go back to Azkaban in two months, I’m having the best time of my life.’

That made both Snape and Harry shut up, but the Pureblood wizard just ignored their looks directed at him and started disrobing in front of them.

‘So are we changing to Muggle clothes or not?’

Then, the weekend was over and done in a heartbeat, and Lucius was no longer around to “teach” Harry’s classes, he was, in fact, helping Snape brewing, even if he admitted he lost their bet willingly, he still held up his end.

Harry was wondering if they were having sex too, without him, but then he convinced himself it was okay. He had an unspoken pact with the blond now. And if Severus turned out to truly and only love Lucius alone, then Harry would surely die from the rejection, but only after he wished them a lifetime of happiness togheter.

Because at this point he loved the snarky Potion Master so much he’d rather see him with Lucius and happy, then with the both of them, but still unhappy. The man finally deserved some good life after the war, Harry thought.

In fact, Harry was responsible to fool the Aurors that Lucius was still in the castle, using spells the Ministry Employees didn’t know about: a best practice to get into the new spells he was learning, because he had to use them creatively, and couldn’t afford the chance of screwing it up, eventually performing them quite perfectly.

But, he also found a time, and bought a snake, scaring the life out of Mooncalf, first thinking he’d keep the poor thing in their room. Then the blond turned out to be “relatively scared” - which Harry suspected was closer to deadly terrified - of snakes, so Harry had to move the poor pet to Lucius’s rooms, visiting it at least twice every day, leaving a note to Lucius in case the blond returned so he would know it was there.

Then, it was time for Quidditch “the” game, where Draco, Ginny, Harry were all playing and Slytherin should miraculously get 370 points in the end to win this season - talk about impossible, if the Snitch is too early to show itself. But McGonagall waved at Harry with a Slytherin’s flag, and there were people with her, who were there to watch him play, Harry knew.

‘We probably will not win this year. And the other Houses hate us, there is no helping that. But at least we can show them we’re still powerful, no matter what,’ Harry just said, ever as uncomfortable as he usually was being the Captain, thinking Gin would do much better bossing everyone around, while Harry preferred that everyone just governed themselves with the skills they had, but it was the redhead who patted him on the shoulder after this simple speech.

‘Right you are, Harry. The Ravenclaws play it strong and tight, but way too safe. They haven’t got the art of flying.’

Draco smirked at the last part, slightly annoying her, so she warned.

‘Oh, _Mooncalf_ I see you’re not at least concerned about playing in another position now that Harry’s back, how fortunate. It means you won’t fall on your ass like you did in my first year? I still remember—’

‘Remind me why I love you so much?’ Dray asked her, a bit offended.

‘Okay, now I have to give you a good luck kiss, you saying such sweet things,’ Ginny was in fact still hanging in the blond’s arms when Madam Hooch wanted to start the match.

Harry felt fine - altough he couldn’t bring himself to eat breakfast, and now he was suddenly starving - and quite positive he’ll not do so well now that people were watching his every move with professional eyes, but he reminded himself that as long as he wasn’t going to fall off of his broom - which he was concentrating hard not to - it was okay.

Then, he was already in the air with all the players when he saw both Lucius and Snape in the crowd and almost fainted. It wasn’t enough to be the worst player the invited guests ever saw in the air, those two had to come and make Slytherin’s - and Harry’s - defeat even worse? Harry was sure Lucius will tease him ‘til the end of his natural life about Harry being the worst he could be…

But then Severus just smiled at him, not caring about who else saw, and Lucius fake-rolled his eyes, raising a small Ravenclaw flag just to tease him, and Harry already felt a bit better. They were - even if Lucius didn’t seem like it - there to cheer him on.

And as the whistle sounded, Harry could forget about everyone and everything else, and he concentrated on the game. As Captain, if he could over smart the Ravenclaws and figure out their movement patterns and strategy - besides the obvious of catching the Snitch the earlier the better, while Slytherin was playing the opposite - he could instruct his teammates accordingly.

Which he did, a couple of times, but everyone knew their place, so there wasn’t much need for more.

They needed a lot of points to even have a chance to win the Cup, but the other thing was: Ravenclaw was at first place now, so if they let the opponents score much, they’d only need to get back at them more. An impossible mission. But they weren’t giving up.

Then, the Snitch appeared at 90-50, to Slytherin, but that, of course, wasn’t good enough. 

Harry could have tried to block the other Seeker, but chose to get after the gold ball too instead, thinking it was fairer if he caught it and they lost the Cup but won the game clean, then blocking another player. Or, Merlin forbid, if the Ravenclaw Seeker did catch the Snitch.

Then, the gold ball escaped, and the Slytherins were now fighting with everything they got - legally. They weren’t hexing the other team or trying to fight dirty, but it was in the air “if the Snitch chose to disappear for a while, we can actually win this”, so one-by-one, they all gave more than a 100% in now.

Ravenclaw, on the other hand, got frustrated - the House of Reason didn’t expect them to play trying to win - because, with their logical reasoning, the Cup was already theirs, Harry not playing almost all season. It was too big of a gap that anyone could think to beat. Yet, annoyingly, the Slytherins were, and that made the usually rational-thinking Ravenclaws hot-headedly-irritated, making them miss good scoring opportunities.

‘Harry, have you seen that?’ Draco flew up to him once, with a proud smile. ‘I’m killing it even as a Chaser!’

‘Dray, you were amazing, but better get back before they use your absence to score,’ Harry laughed, and he didn’t even have to lie to his best friend. The blond _was_ on fire, just like all of their players.

170-70 got Ravenclaws probably wish they weren’t even born, and at one moment of the game when Draco stole the Quaffle from an impossible pass to steal, Ginny didn’t care about anything else, and snogged her boyfriend in front of the whole stadium, probably making Ron lose his mind with anger, but Harry didn’t bother to actually look for the Weasley brother to actually check. 

He didn’t even care if he could have fun at Ron’s expanse anymore. He wasn’t even worth that much.

However, their luck didn’t last, of course. The Snitch appeared the second time, and Harry caught it in less than 15 seconds, earning a disappointed screech from all around the crowd - now it seemed everyone was rooting for Slytherin, the underdog - and the match was over, and Slytherin not only lost the Cup but they didn’t even have points enough for second place, so the only house they won over was Hupplepuff.

Still, the Ravenclaws seemed unhappy, and tired and irritated, while the Slytherins put up a good face to the others victory: knowing that they played nice and everyone was proud of belonging to the Snakes.

Draco hugged Harry, and Ginny hugged them both, once on the ground, which led to the whole team to get into that sweaty and quite frankly disgusting hug, but Harry just grinned.

‘I’d say next year, but hey. There is no next year, at least for 4 of us,’ Harry mentioned, counting them and another seventh-year student.

‘Worse after-speech ever, Potter,’ another teammate mentioned, Harry didn’t even get who, but when he was about to reciprocate, the people dissappeared from around him, making a way for McGonagall’s guests Harry quite forget about after the first 10 minutes.

‘Mr. Potter,’ one wizard with a strong handshake came forward. ‘My name is Gerard Lowe. Here is my business card. Owl me if you want to join the Appleby Arrows to negotiate a price and the details. I’ll top anything payment-wise these other two behind me will offer you, probably. And you too, Mr. Malfoy. I want you as a Keeper, you have an aptitude for that.’

‘Mr. Potter, join the Wasps instead.’

‘I’d say the Puddlemere, Mr. Potter,’ the obvious competitors tried to outshine each other. 'And don’t listen to Lowe, he cannot top what we’d give you. And Mr. Malfoy, of course,’ he turned to the blond. ‘You’re only a Keeper as in a sense that I want to keep you on my team, but I do think the Chaser Position would be perfect for you. Owl me, and convince Mr. Potter to come with you if you be so kind.’

Draco laughed a bit half-heartedly, giving Harry a look.

‘Okay, I’d take you too, Mr. Malfoy,’ the third wizard from the Wasps muttered. ‘Even if your pay would probably be lower than Mr. Potter’s here, I would take the fire for hiring an ex-convict if he’s such a player. Good day to you, here’s my card.’

‘That seemed to went well,’ Snape arrived along with Lucius and McGonagall to the field too. ‘All three wanted you?’

‘They wanted my fame—’

‘Now that’s pure nonsense, Mr. Potter,’ McGonagall warned. ‘You’ve been phenomenal today just as Mr. Malfoy and they need young and talented players always to train. Only, these are the teams that can actually afford to hire a new player now, or should I say two.’

‘And they’d even hire me just to get you,’ Draco smiled.

‘They’d hire you because you were great,’ Harry corrected him sharply.

‘I didn’t think I would say this, honestly, but you were playing quite decently Dragon,’ Lucius noted, and then probably thinking this was too much of a compliment, he immediately went back on it. ‘If we don’t count the not so entertaining display of snogging you had with your girlfriend in the middle of the game.’

Draco just went red but recovered fast.

‘The day might come when you’re entitled to critique my love-life and my choices made in it,’ pulling Ginny closer, giving a small kiss on a cheek to her, who just smiled. ‘But it’s definitely not today, father.’

Lucius smugly smiled, not refuting how his relationship with Harry and Snape might be a tad bit unconventional, but he noted.

‘Well, then, you should head back to the castle and celebrate generously the big victory, as I’m sure Mr. Potter will too, with his boyfriend.’

McGonagall smiled at Harry hearing that, probably not even guessing in a hundred years that Lucius meant pretty much himself and Snape by that, but Harry didn’t wish ill on the poor witch by giving her a heart-attack and telling her. Not now, and probably not for a very long time either.

‘We’re taking you to Muggle London,’ Snape told him in Lucius’s rooms, once Harry met up with them, returning from the Slytherin Common Room - they barely wanted to let him go - showered and now quite hungry. ‘Lucius grew found of a dining establishment there, serving food.’

‘All I said is that it was very interesting that Muggles could almost produce the same quality of food as an elegent Wizarding Restaurant would,’ the blond said, of course, arguing.

‘He was moaning tasting the first bite, I’m not even kidding,’ Snape said, laughing when the blond hexed him for telling. ‘And those Wizarding Restaurants cost like five times more, for which I will certainly not pay, so we’re stuck with this place.’

‘Did you know, Harry, that Muggles, even though they don’t have a Stasis Charm, can preserve food using more than a dozen of techiques to do so?’ Lucius said, quickly regaining ground, to which Harry raised an eyebrow to Severus.

‘Don’t even ask. The whole week he was nagging me about how it was possible, so when I managed to explain pasteurization and canning, I’d rather bought a book on the topic for him than to try to explain anything else,’ Snape sighed.

‘What, they really make curiously good food considering they are left without Magic!’ the blond now eplained to Harry in such a way that the raven-haired wizard found himself laughing again, just as Severus was smirking, despite trying to look irritated with Lucius’s new foundness of Muggles - or at least chefs.

They were getting close to the Apparation point, thankfully, before Lucius could go into detail what he just learned, because Harry couldn’t keep a straight face much longer, and he suspected Severus couldn’t either, because he swiftly changed the topic as soon as Lucius left a bit of a pause between two sentences.

‘So, we have now a snake pet, I take it?’ he asked Harry since he probably noticed it before.

‘Before you state you hate it, just think of all the venom I’ll be giving to you. In fact, here, I already gathered some,’ Harry took a small vial from his pocket unshrinking it.

‘I like our little beast better already,’ Snape said, pocketing it. ‘But for the record, I wasn’t complaining.’

And he didn’t call the poor snake Harry’s he did say “our” and “we” which was nice, so Harry gave him a smile.

‘It doesn’t have a name yet,’ Harry noted. ‘I kinda figured Lucius could name him and take care of it since it can’t be in my rooms for now.’

‘And why is that?’

‘My idiot son is terrified of snakes,’ Lucius smiled. ‘But after Nagini, I can’t say I really blame him actually.’

‘Yeah, my reason not to like those creatures as well,’ Snape told Harry, giving him a look.

‘I’m sorry, but this one won’t attack you,’ Harry tried to stick up for the poor pet and bias against him already. ‘And I can teach you to say hi, and then once you understand what they are saying—’

‘It’s not something I would consider spending my lack of free time with,’ Snape said. ‘But I’ll tolerate it, and even go as far to admit that it had actually beautiful scales.’

‘Oh, he should be delighted when I tell him that,’ Harry said. ‘He might want to cuddle you in return—’

‘That would certainly _not_ be wise of him,’ Snape argued, now making Lucius laugh.

‘I kind of like the “Our Little Beast” for the name,’ the blond noted, looking at Harry. ‘That way, when it needs food, some could ask, “have you fed Our Little Beast” yet?’

‘Jesus, you definitely NOT naming him,’ Harry objected. ‘Or anything that needs a name in the future.’

‘What, I named my son just fine!’ Lucius fake-argued, making Severus say.

‘We could keep it simple and call him Sally.’

‘That’s a girl name,’ Harry noted.

‘Sally from Salazar, Jesus!’ Snape rolled his eyes. ‘Or we could call it Bird or Cat just to confuse him, he might even forget he’s a snake later on.’

‘Sally it is,’ Harry announced before Severus got worse ideas. ‘I can’t say he’ll be flattered because of Salazar or disappointed because of a girly name. How will it look, when he’s like 3 feet big, and we’re still calling him Sally?’

‘Three feet?!’ Severus now said.

‘Blue kraits are usually around three and a half feet long plus tail, but I hope Sally will grow even bigger than average given we can take care of him by magic,’ Harry said. ‘But I thought you knew this, given that his species was on the list of suspects you gave me, Severus.’

‘I know about their venom, not their size, Merlin! And I was glad it’s so small. Now it turns out it will grow—!’

‘Are we still talking about Sally, or something else?’ Lucius cheekily asked, but by then they were at the Apparating point and the blond Apparated away first before the other two could react.

‘He’s kind of an idiot when he isn’t pretending to be someone he isn’t, isn’t he?’ Harry mused out loud, making Snape laugh.

‘And you didn’t even spend the weekdays with him,’ Severus noted, but then composed himself, holding out an arm for Harry. Who could, of course, Apparate himself, but he gladly took the hand of the Potion Master, making them turn up next to Lucius who was already eying the menu sign outside the restaurant not even feigning nonchalance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, I (almost) randomly picked a venomous snake species, not really knowing which one's venom would be the best for Potions. Sally is quite deadly but other than that... Severus, please come and teach me! LOL And also, the 3 Quidditch teams are random too other than they are Brittish. Oh and Sally means princess (which is fitting because a Prince named him? IDK), BTW.
> 
> For Go, if you want to learn to play, I actually spent quite a bit of time at an interactive page where you can learn the basics, you can find it [here](http://playgo.to/iwtg/en/), although it didn't end up being that important to know the game to get the story, in the end.
> 
> As always, thank you guys for sticking with this fic, and for your support, you are the best!!! XOXO


	5. Chapter 19 - Good News, Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made the hearing go much like one would expect to see in an American series with lawyers, I even was tempted to write things like "Objection, ask and answered!" and "badgering the witness" and "leading the witness!" and "relevance!" and "heresay!" at times (I adore these type if series, as you can probably tell...), but I hope you can think it's how a wizarding hearing could go, anyway, and forgive me for not being an expert in Wizarding Laws.
> 
> Thank you for all your lovely comments and kudos! TBH I had to rewrite this chapter as a whole four times I was so depressed I couldn't even write. If you know of any trustable online support group, tell me. T.T But thank Merlin, I still achieved what I thought wasn't possible (for the fifth try...) and here is your update! XOXO
> 
> +Some things are bound to happen in both timelines. Those people who read both versions, can you guess what Ginny and Draco have to tell Harry? LOL

When Harry didn’t have any more lessons with Lucius, since the blond now was helping Snape brew, Harry left the castle and used every restoration spell he could on Grimmauld Place, and after a couple of weeks, he got it look somewhat like a run-down home could look, but it was far from over, yet.

He only went back to the castle to feed Sally two times a day and have breakfast and dinner with his friends, otherwise, he even slept in Sirius’s old room, claiming it as his own now, keeping some posters of motorbikes and getting rid of some like the Gryffindor poster. He was no longer one.

He spent the weekends at Spinner’s End, with Lucius and Severus, and he also had met with the three teams that wanted to hire him and Draco too. In the end, Draco signed with Appleby Arrows, and Harry and Ginny teased the hell out him for it.

‘Mooncalf, you chose the Arrows because it’s colors are pale blue and a little silver, so you fit into their uniform the best, is that it?’ Harry asked, and Ginny laughed, saying.

‘I think you’re right, Harry. If he went with the Wasps, he couldn’t wear Quidditch gear that matches his eyes so perfectly.’

‘Oh, shut up, you two,’ Draco said, but his voice wasn’t raised, just telling. ‘I went with them because they even wanted me without Harry. Which means they _really_ wanted me, and I appreciate that given how most people think I’m a war criminal who is no good for anything else.’

‘I’ll sign with the Wimbourne Wasps tomorrow,’ Harry mentioned, now backing down from teasing, but not totally. ‘That way we’re in rivaling teams.’

‘Your uniform will be black and yellow,’ Draco frowned. ‘And you dare to say I chose my team because of colors when it will be the best fit for your dark hair!’

‘Already speaking like a rival,’ Harry noted. ‘But I won’t lose to you, Mooncalf.’

In fact, he was smiling. He chose the contract that didn’t offer the most money but offered the best education for him as a player. If he was to do it, he had to be good. And since sports were only for the young, he also had to either verse himself in good wizarding investing or another job to fall back on when he was too old to play yet still needed an income.

It was problematic, but manageable if he really wanted to do this, which he did. He felt really alive in the air, was good at it, and the regular sporting activities helped his mood. Not drastically, but that was okay too.

‘I won’t lose to you either,’ Draco said, now looking at Ginny, who just nodded. ‘In fact, we have something to tell you. I might be leaving school to soon start with the Arrows.’

‘What? But—’ Harry wanted to tell the blond how important it was for Draco to finish school, especially since he even was let go of Azkaban, and nothing could justify missing out—

‘I’m pregnant,’ Ginny smiled. ‘We’ve been meaning to tell you, but you’re always such in a hurry, we just didn’t get the chance.’

‘Oh, Merlin! Congratulations!’ Harry was floored but smiled. ‘I take it you want to start early with the team because—’

‘We need the money,’ Draco nodded. ‘Mine was confiscated, and Ginny’s family…’

‘Mom said if I’ll carry this and I quote “child of pure evil” to term, she won’t even let me enter the Burrow anymore,’ Ginny said, but when Harry frowned, she just smiled. ‘Like I would want to go back there, after what she said when I ended up in Slytherin and Draco and I started dating.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Harry muttered, but she just squeezed his hand.

‘Oh no, it’s okay. And we want you to be the godfather. With… no matter how many partners you have at the moment.’

Now they were both smiling, but Harry suddenly found himself tearing up.

‘I’d be glad to,’ he said, making Draco hug him, and he was pretty sure they were now all almost-crying, but these were happy tears. ‘Gods, you two, you must be so excited…’

‘We are,’ Ginny said, then looked at Dray and added. ‘And pretty terrified, too, actually.’

Mooncalf went red but smiled.

‘We… didn’t actually plan for it to happen, and now we have just months to grow up suddenly.’

‘I have a feeling it’s gonna be more than okay,’ Harry said, meaning that. The war already made them grow up fast, now all those two had to do is soften a bit to care for a child, but that should come naturally to them. Harry has seen Draco soften around Ginny, and Ginny around Draco, so he doubted their child would be any different.

‘So a toast,’ Harry raise his glass. ‘To my godson.’

‘We don’t know if it will be a boy yet!’ Ginny said, smiling.

‘To my favorite grandchild, then,’ Harry laughed.

‘Oh, you plan to be other people’s children godfather now, too?’ Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

‘Actually, I was hoping I could be a godfather for all of your children, Mooncalf,’ Harry smiled, making Ginny and Dray both go amazingly red.

‘First, we see if we can take care of this one,’ Draco mutter, making Ginny kiss his cheek, smiling.

‘I want a good job and a career too, you know, Harry,’ the redhead said. ‘Obviously not now, but… one or two kids are more than enough.’

‘I… I actually always wanted a big family,’ Mooncalf admitted, now making her stare.

‘I’ll spell you a woman, Dray, and if you carry them to term after our second, I won’t stop you,’ she said, making Harry laugh at Draco’s expression.

‘We’ll talk about this later,’ the blond said, now nervously drinking from his cup. ‘When Harry isn’t laughing at everything I’ll say to that.’

Harry just continued smiling, and Ginny sighed. She was obviously more concerned about this pregnancy than supposed others, later on.

‘You’ll gonna do great, Gin,’ Harry quickly told her, to which she just noted.

‘I always thought so, but I… thought Mom would be there to help if I needed things.’

That was followed by a small silence from all three before Draco said.

‘I’m sure my Mom will. You’re a Pureblood, after all, she has no reason to be unpleasant about it.’

‘Plus I don’t know anything about babies, but I’ll help,’ Harry promised. ‘I can lend you money too, Draco, so you could finish school.’

He said “lend” but he actually already knew he wasn’t going to accept any Knut if the blond wanted to pay any of it back. He was the Head of the Black Family now, and Draco was a Black too, after all. And even if he wasn’t Harry would still do it.

‘No, I… I actually already got some from Mother. And signed with the Arrows too, already stating I’ll start before the end of this school year. I want to… be reliable. And if I start earlier, I hope I’m more accustomed to my job by the time the baby comes, so that I can help Gin out more.’

That Harry couldn’t argue, especially not after Ginny gave a huge kiss to Draco hearing that.

‘I’ll finish school,’ the redhead said. ‘If you fail as a Keeper, I can still support us, getting a job at the Ministry. Percy already told me he’d help, and I think I have the aptitude for scheming and politics. So you can be a stay-at-home dad.’

To that, Draco laughed.

‘How ‘bout I don’t fail as a Keeper and we’ll talk about the rest later?’

‘That could work too,’ Ginny agreed.

‘I’m kinda sorry I’ll be signed as a Seeker, now,’ Harry said. ‘Could have played against you, Mooncalf.’

‘I’m signed for a year. Who knows what other teams want or don’t want me after that and in what position,’ the blond smiled. ‘I get a feeling it goes for you too, and that we’ll get plenty of chances to beat each other over the years.’

‘Now you’re making me cry again,’ Ginny muttered, hiding her face, while the blond turned to Harry.

‘Hormones, am I right?’

Harry laughed, and quite frankly was surprised Draco knew about them, but surely the blond has been reading about the topic just as Ginny because she chuckled.

‘Best excuse ever.’

Unfortunately, no matter how long their dinner last, Harry still had to take care of Sally and continue with renovating the wooden frame of Regulus’s old bed he was now working on, so he had to say goodbye to the other two.

He was already working on it when the thought hit him: Lucius will be a grandfather, and Harry wanted to tell him, assuming he didn’t yet know, but it was something Draco should really do, so he has no other choice but to keep a secret from the blond, until then? It felt uncomfortable, just thinking about that, so Harry just sighed.

But then he was busy again and went signing for the Wasps the next day, and he all but forgot to worry, until Severus was in his mind, one day.

‘Dress formal and hurry. I need you in the Ministry in half an hour. They moved Lucius’s re-evaluation I petitioned for 10 days earlier. Minerva isn’t even in the country to speak up on his side, but I suspect that was their goal with moving the hearing in the first place so she can’t be there.’

It was the first time Harry heard about this hearing, and he didn’t have the time to wash his hair after spending the day in the unclean rooms, trying to get rid of some cobwebs and mold in the drawing-room, so he felt dirty, even if he used a cleaning charm on himself.

And, the hearing already started when he managed to get there, no matter how he hurried.

‘I am the former Headmaster of Hogwarts,’ Snape said. ‘And—’

‘And also another Death Eater—’ one person said.

‘Minerva McGonagall would have spoken up too, on his side,’ Snape said quickly. ‘In fact, she sent a letter of recommendation. She thinks Lucius is a devoted teacher who knows a lot about the wizarding past, so she wants to keep him as either a Professor of Defense Against Dark Arts or History of Magic.’

‘I thought the History position was already filled,’ a Wizengamot member noted.

‘By a ghost,’ Snape said. ‘Who—’

‘Well, who would know better of the past than a ghost, am I right?’ another one joked, and the others laughed, while Severus tried hard to argue over the life of the Lucius further.

‘Then, surely, it’s more logical to keep Mr. Malfoy as DADA teacher. Hogwarts gets a teacher for free, it’s a good deal, and Mr. Malfoy will do it to keep out from Azkaban—’

‘I’m sorry, Snape,’ now Kingsley spoke up as Minister, his eyes more bored than sorry if Harry had to choose. ‘But I don’t see how it’s a good idea to let Lucius Malfoy near any children. Especially for DADA position. I know you spied for the light, Snape, and you are a hero in my eyes, but—’

‘Me spying has nothing to do with this,’ Snape said. ‘I’m here to be Mr. Malfoy’s defence because I was Headmaster of Hogwarts—’

‘But you aren’t currently,’ Kingsley said. ‘And whatever you say, Mr. Malfoy is a criminal, even if he’s clearly… you old friend. We can’t just let him go “work” his sentence off as you’re suggesting.’

Harry had little control left not to start shouting, but they were Slytherins. They had to think first, strategize, survive, and then be emotional. He was needed clear-headed for this, and he used Occlumency to do so, although, at the moment, he couldn’t believe what was Kingsley saying.

‘I’ll call Mister Harry James Potter as my next witness,’ Snape realized it was futile to try on his part any longer.

‘It’s a friendly Hearing, this one,’ Kingsley noted. ‘You don’t need witnesses.’

‘I’d still like to talk,’ Harry said, stepping up. Gosh, his insides were twisting into a tight knot, from what it felt like, but he quickly stood up and moved forward so that he’d be more seen.

‘Hey, Harry,’ Kinsley now tried to be familiar with him to show off that they knew each other. Some Wizengamot members had been staring at him, some were even gasping when Snape said “Harry Potter”, now surely gossiping about him, because Kingsley had to say. ‘Quiet in the Courtroom! So, Harry, introduce yourself.’

‘I’m Harry Potter, I… I’m in the seventh year at Hogwarts, but already signed Seeker for the Wimbourne Wasps,’ he said. ‘Also, the heir of both Potter and Black lines.’

He was then quickly sworn in, to his magic, that he won't lie.

‘The Boy Who Lived, Ladies and Gentlemen,’ Kingsley smiled, but that didn’t last. ‘And so, why are you here?’

‘To second the motion of Severus Snape, Potion Master and Former Headmast—’

‘To get Lucius out of prison,’ Kingsley interrupted before Harry could finish stating Severus’s title.

‘Yes. You see,’ Harry turned to the unknown faces sitting there. ‘I grew up with Muggles, and in their society, it’s customary that prisoners work. It’s a way for them to earn money for the government, or do jobs that wouldn’t be done otherwise. And I do think that Lucius Malfoy is more useful out of prison, doing a job than—’

‘You fought the war, Harry,’ Kingsley interrupted before the raven-haired wizard could finish the thought. ‘Wasn’t this man, Mr. Malfoy, a faithful Death Eater who was put to Azkaban exactly because of your testimony only 3 years prior?’

‘Yes, but—’

‘And didn’t you petition for his son, Draco Malfoy to be released from prison too, just months ago?’

‘Draco Malfoy never tortured or hurt anyone. He wasn’t a criminal and has nothing to do with—’

‘Well, Draco Malfoy was let go because he wasn’t, and you were his Character Witness,’ Kingsley said. ‘Didn’t you say you were his best friend, then?’

‘I did, and I still am,’ Harry admitted, now looking like that’s why he was there for Lucius too, which was probably the Minister’s intention too. ‘But as I said, Draco was supposed to let go, and this has—’

‘Draco Malfoy was innocent, as any Death Eater can be, but Lucius Malfoy isn’t,’ Kingsley said. ‘In fact, he got out of prison between the two wars because he stated he was Imperiused to do what he was doing. And haven’t you fought him on numerous occasions yourself, Harry—’

‘Well, _Minister_ , if you’d let me talk for more than half a sentence, I’d explain,’ Harry found himself saying, making someone chuckle in the rows of the Wizengamot, but he didn’t think it was funny. In fact, he was getting more and more frustrated, his magic pulsing around him. ‘He was a faithful Death Eater, as you kindly stated, and my enemy. But he also happened to teach me when I—’

‘When you had temper issues,’ Kingsley now turned against him. ‘Which you used to have as a kid too, using accidental and cruel magic on your Muggle relatives, if I read your file right.’

‘That… was a long time ago. And—’ he was continuously interrupted, just when he could say anything in the defense of Lucius, and it was getting more and more disgusting the way Kingsley acted.

‘And you cursed a Mr. Ronald Weasley quite bad too, a fellow war hero, recently,’ Kingsley said. ‘That’s why you got Mr. Malfoy here as a teacher in the first place, to teach you to control your magic, or do you deny that?’

‘I don’t,’ Harry hissed.

‘So, what are you saying now?’ Kingsley went on. ‘That Mr. Malfoy is a known and convicted criminal, who taught you possibly dark magic, and now you want him to teach the next generation of students, those children who are, presumably the most fragile and suggestible, to dark magic?’

‘Noone talked about dark magic, Minister!’ Snape objected. ‘Only you, with leading questions.’

‘Mr. Potter, tell us the truth then,’ Kingsley said in a honey-like tone. ‘Did Mr. Malfoy teach you or didn’t he teach you dark magic?’

‘He taught me not to hurt people accidentally like I did with Mr. Weasley,’ Harry said.

‘Not my question, though,’ Kingsley stated.

‘Well, then, I misunderstood. I thought you cared what he taught me, but maybe you don’t,’ Harry said, now feeling Snape’s voice in his mind.

‘Harry, don’t provoke him, he’d just prove you still have a temper,’ he warned, but Harry still didn’t like it. In fact, he stepped even closer to the people sitting next to and behind Kingsley, now even seeing Percy there.

‘This man _was_ my enemy. He had every reason to hate me, yet he treated me fairly and taught me to the best of his knowledge. And he’s more capable than most of the teachers of Hogwarts,—’

‘Who are not on trial here,’ Kingsley quickly said, recovering. ‘And isn’t it fair to say that you, being a Slytherin, which you are, Mr. Potter, you find yourself being best friends with Malfoy’s son and begin to feel like you have to be loyal and rescue your newfound allies' relatives as much you can?’

‘No, it’s not because—’

‘Isn’t it? You still have compassion even for your enemies, which is an admirable trait, let me say, Harry,’ Kingsley went on. ‘Didn't you change your opinion when you found out that Mr. Malfoy will be a grandfather soon, but he will never see his grandchild because he’s at Azkaban and that’s no place for a child?’

‘What? This is ridiculous, we have no such knowledge, even if it’s true!’ Snape argued, looking at Harry, but Kingsley was looking at him too.

‘Didn’t you know about that, Mr. Potter?’

Harry turned, looking at Lucius, who was silently looking back at him.

‘I did.’

Kingsley, by then got everyone to think what he wanted so, he let him speak.

‘And you sure it didn’t affect your judgment, not even a bit, Mr. Potter?’

‘Yes, I’m quite sure. In fact, if you don’t believe me, then put me in charge of Mr. Malfoy. I’ll be responsible if he escapes, and I’ll make sure—’

‘I’m afraid this petition is about letting Mr. Malfoy go of Azkaban for the school-years so he can teach at Hogwarts, Harry, not letting him go in your custody or otherwise,’ Kingsley stated. ‘And with you playing Quidditch for the Wasps, for which we wish you the best of luck, you can’t expect us to believe you’d have time to manage Lucius Malfoy too, who is supposed to reside at Hogwarts to teach…’

‘I’m powerful,’ Harry stated. ‘But McGonagall or Mr. Snape here could also supervise his every step too.’

‘Your training will drain you. And the games will take you abroad. And also, since term started, Hogwarts was attacked twice now, by stray Death Eaters, or is my information wrong?’ Kingsley asked, and Harry could now throw a fit. Whenever the man got the information, it was correct. Unfortunately.

So correct, that one could debate he used dark or illegal magic to obtain them, but without proof, Harry couldn’t just point out that.

‘Yes, that happened, but Mr. Malfoy only helped to fight them—’

‘Or, it happened so frequently, because he let them into the castle in the first place,’ the Minister argued, and Harry now felt himself going red, he was so angry. He might have attacked the next moment - his magic was surely ready for it ages ago - if Snape didn’t step in front of him, probably sensing the danger, and speaking up.

‘I provided my memories of the said accidents and Mr. Malfoy, was in fact, proved to be not helping those criminals, but assisting the Professors of Hogwarts both times to a great deal—’

‘Maybe he knew his actions will be fruitful later, on an occasion such as this,’ Kingsley said. ‘It’s not proof of his sudden change of character if he’d only did it to not go back to prison. Is the Board ready to vote on the case?’

‘Wait!’ Harry said, quickly. ‘I still have to tell you one thing, what happened during the war. Mr. Malfoy saved my life as well as Hermione Granger’s, Ronald Weasley’s, Luna Lovegood’s and Ollivander's and a goblin's.’

‘He did?’

‘Well, we were captured. All of us. Ready to be taken to Voldemort,’ Harry faced the people saying that, enjoying them making themselves smaller just because of a name. ‘And Mr. Malfoy’s elf got us out of there. If you don’t think, Minister, that elves are acting on their own free will, someone had to order them to do so.’

‘Of course, I don’t think so,’ Kingsley now looked uncomfortable. ‘But that—’

‘The elf who saved us was named Dobby. Ask Mr. Malfoy if it belonged to him.’

‘Maybe we can ask the elf to appear,’ Kingsley now said, probably guessing Dobby would call himself free, probably knowing about the curious elf from some of the Order’s business. But this time, he wasn’t fully informed about anything.

‘The elf was killed by Bellatrix Black,’ Harry said. ‘He sacrificed his life to get us out. So—’

‘Bellatrix Black, who is a relative of—’

‘So why don’t you ask Mr. Malfoy if the said elf belonged to him or to anybody else? Maybe someone else ordered it,’ Harry insisted. ‘And Mr. Malfoy can’t risk lying, we all know it, so let us figure this out!’

‘Stand up, Mr. Malfoy,’ Kingsley irritatedly said. ‘Is it true? These people were captured as Mr. Potter just stated?’

‘Yes.’

‘And this Dobby? Did he belong to you, following only your orders? Or maybe was it your wife or son who—’

‘Dobby was only allowed to act upon my orders, none of my other family members,’ Lucius could say because that part was the truth. ‘He spent most of his time raising my son, I couldn’t let Draco order it around, possibly overwriting my commands, and I wouldn’t let my wife do that either.’

‘Still, what reason would you have had, Mr. Malfoy, to let these people go?’

‘I think we already answered that question, Minister,’ Snape quickly said. ‘When both I and Mr. Potter said under oath that Mr. Malfoy isn’t a fully fledged criminal he is portrayed to be. Not that it’s what’s on trial here, mind you. It’s not about giving him back his Mansion, his money nor his freedom. It’s about him being relatively useful for the wizarding society, meanwhile, he’s still grounded, only not in the prison, but in the grounds of the castle—’

‘The grounds where vulnerable children are. Many Muggleborns too. Just waiting for an attack to happen—’

‘Minister, now you accuse Mr. Malfoy of crimes he didn’t even get a chance to commit yet,’ Snape said, irritated.

‘I didn’t say these attacks were conducted by Mr. Malfoy,’ Kinsley stated. ‘But we have to acknowledge they are happening nowadays quite often.’

‘They are after me,’ Harry said. ‘That’s the reason why they are—’

‘Mr. Potter, I’ll humor you. Since you attended Hogwarts, how many times Death Eaters attacked the castle?’

‘Three.’

‘And how many times before Lucius Malfoy was a teacher there?’

‘Only one.’

‘When Voldemort himself led an army of them to there if I’m not mistaken,’ Kingsley argued.

‘You aren’t,’ Harry sighed.

‘An attack where Mr. Malfoy was in the ranks of the attackers,’ Kingsley mused. ‘We already trialed him for that, and he himself confessed to that.’

‘I was,’ Lucius now said, looking miserable. If he had found something with being Harry and Snape in the last couple of weeks, now all that was gone. He was painted such a bad man by the Minister himself that Harry could see the blond was now hating on himself again. 

Hearing how you’re the worst over and over again was something Harry knew well. Until you believe it, and you start to believe that whatever punishment they gave you was justice and could only think you’d want more so that you wouldn’t feel anything anymore…

‘Minister!’

‘No, this hearing already took up much time, we don’t have time for admitted criminals to argue they weren’t that bad, after all—’

‘Kingsley, this hearing is still not about that,’ Snape warned, now seemingly about to lose his temper too.

‘Nonetheless, we vote,’ Kingsley announced. ‘Anyone who says Lucius Malfoy isn’t allowed to teach in Hogwarts, raise your hands.’

Of course, he was the first to do so, and many followed without even thinking for themselves.

‘And, those who vote for him to be,’ Kingsley now turned in his seat, so that if people wanted to vote for this, he’d see who they were. So, some, even if they wanted to vote for Lucius, now rather chose to not raise their hands, standing off, just so that they won’t be singled out.

And seeing that Lucius wasn’t winning, some didn’t vote because they deemed it worthless anyway.

Harry didn’t believe it. He could have cursed them all, and do it quite badly too, but Snape knew this and turned him with his hand on Harry’s shoulders, and quite a force too.

Then, when the Ministers walked out, Lucius came up to them too, placing his left on Harry’s other shoulder.

‘I appreciate it, Harry, but it’s not like I didn’t know this was going to happen,’ he said. ‘And I _am_ a criminal—’

‘You were,’ Harry corrected.

‘I still have one and a half months freedom,’ Lucius went on, not even arguing. ‘And I don’t want to spend it feeling miserable about it.’

He was probably saying that to calm him, because Harry’s magic was still close to bursting and he was sporting the worst headache already, trying to hard not to give in and release it, if not on the Ministers who already left, but at least on the Courtroom.

‘I’ll figure something else out,’ Snape told him. ‘I made this hearing happen, too, so I’ll just have to come up with another reason, and you, Harry should stay put and let me take care of it, you hear me?’

‘But—’

‘I’ll call you for the next hearing too. You being in sports can help too. If you’re more famous doing Quidditch, people will listen to you more,’ Snape muttered. ‘But if you make a scene now, they’ll know and tarnish your reputation too, think about it.’

‘You’re right.’

‘We should get some food and I still need to shag you, Harry, the Dobby idea was truly brilliant, even if it didn’t work,’ the blond noted, now communicating these things in their heads.

Harry smiled, but only for the sake of Lucius, not because he felt like smiling at all.

They still went to eat, and it was really good, just as always, in _their_ favorite Muggle restaurant, but it could have been sandpaper on his plate for Harry, he wouldn’t have noticed.

‘Harry, trust me,’ Severus warned in his mind. ‘It’s not the last they have heard of us, and McGonagall will have to be there for the next one, they can’t keep her from coming every single time, that would be suspicious too.’

Snape probably felt Harry was so upset that he was now considering running away with the blond if he had to, but not letting Lucius go back.

‘They already know how they will vote anyway!’ Harry snapped back in their minds, then quickly apologized. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not angry with you—’

‘And now Lucius knows you’re so gloomy because of him, so get a grip,’ Snape told him, before speaking up for real. ‘So, Harry, I take it that congratulations are in order for Ginevra, but you already knew—’

‘I wanted Draco to tell you, I’m sorry,’ Harry said now looking at Lucius, who just shook his head that he wasn’t angry. ‘I… I’m going to be the godfather, but even I didn’t know until recently.’

‘It’s good news, really,’ Lucius said. ‘My line goes on, and it’s not even tainted. Plus at least the godfather of the kid is sensible if the father isn’t always—’

Harry kicked him under the table for saying that about Draco, which just made Lucius smile smugly.

‘You’re having jitters now, or something, Mr. Potter?’

‘Take that back!’

‘Okay, maybe not even the godfather is sensible,’ the blond just teased, making Severus almost choke on the food he was still eating, now laughing out loud.

‘Oh?’ Harry now wondered, if Lucius was provoking him to the verbal fight so he’d take his mind off of the hearing, but it was working. ‘I surely just hope the poor kid doesn’t end up like his grandfather…’

‘One should hope so,’ Lucius agreed. ‘I mean, anyone who has seen Arthur Weasley would agree.’

That made Harry laugh just as hard as Snape was smirking at the comment, shaking his head in disbelief.

‘It was funny and you know it,’ the Pureblood argued. ‘Can we just go and get off these ridiculous clothing you two put up just to save me, and have hot-hot sex, preferably in a bed?’

‘We should let Sev finish eating—’

‘Oh I’m so done,’ Snape, however, said, leaving a Muggle bank-note on the table, and standing up faster than Harry. ‘And maybe we should go to yours, Harry. I meant to do it once on Black’s bed too, just to make him turn in his grave that I can—’

‘Sev!’ Harry said, now shocked. ‘I mean, I do live now in his room, so I suppose it’s his bed if we were to do it, “in my place”, but—’

‘What? It’s only fair payback,’ Snape now shrugged. ‘He might have had me naked and upside down in front of the whole school with your father once, but the joke’s on them because it’s Snivellus fucking you now.’

‘And not even alone,’ Lucius smiled, but probably sensed Harry still caring about Sirius, so he added to ease the tension. ‘And if we were to go there, Harry, you could show me how you’re doing with the restoration too, later.’

Which, coincidentally, Harry needed advice on from the blond, so it won.

‘Alright,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘It’s safest if I side-Apparate you both, Moody’s protections against Sev might still linger.’

‘Then please do so,’ Snape said, placing his hand on Harry’s just as Lucius on Snape’s.

Next thing Harry knew is that Kreacher was sent away by Lucius firmly, when Severus was really intent on pushing Harry to Sirius’s bed, already on the top of him before Harry could even think.

‘Damn, if your revenge on Sirius is so hot,’ Harry said, already panting. ‘I should have let you do it a looong time ago.’

‘You don’t know the half of it yet,’ the Potion Master smiled, and it sounded like a promise, making him laugh.

‘As I said, time to get rid of these clothes,’ Lucius spelled them bare, making Harry moan when now Severus was pushing his length against him, suddenly without clothes to separate them.

And then, Lucius was in Snape much faster than ever before, and the Potion Master was coming undone from it just on the top of Harry.

Which, led the younger wizard to believe that they _did_ have sex without him when the two were alone all weekdays brewing, but he just kissed Sev and smiled at Lucius, who smirked back at him, making their Potion Master only moan louder.

Then, when Snape came, Lucius just pushed him out of the way, entering Harry too.

‘I promised to reward you both, after all,’ he muttered to pleasantly surprised Harry’s ear. ‘But if you prefer me on my knees, rather then this, all you have to do is ask.’

‘I’m… good,’ Harry was positive he won’t last long, and looking at Sev who was getting hard again just watching them didn’t help at all, so he just closed his eyes, and let Lucius take one of his legs on his shoulders, for better reachability, which then was rewarded soon, by the blond pushing even deeper into him. ‘AH!’

‘I’ll say you’re enjoying this,’ Lucius laughed, and Harry was barely able to answer.

‘Don’t you _dare_ to… stop!’

‘Wasn’t my intention,’ the blond told him, now pumping even faster into him, while his eyes wandered off to Severus who just cursed, then started working on his erection with his hand, despite just cumming hard not so long ago.

Then, as it already was their habit so much that neither of them resisted it, their mind link connected automatically without any of them willing it to. 

And this time all three of them were orgasming together, which was overwhelming enough for Snape to come with them too.

‘This won’t do,’ he muttered, when they were laying there, spent, even Lucius now tightly between Harry and Sev. ‘We can’t do this only the weekends, I’ll go crazy on the weekdays.’

‘We could have dinners together,’ Lucius said, wondering. ‘And maybe—’

‘I’m having breakfast and supper with Gin and Draco,’ Harry stated. ‘I have to go to feed Sally anyway—’

‘You could bring the pet here,’ Snape noted.

‘Probably will, once I’m more done with the rooms, but I still eat with my friends,’ Harry said. ‘However…’

‘However?’ now Lucius was smiling at him, sensing something interesting was on the way.

‘You could set up your lab on the fifth floor, Severus,’ Harry suggested. ‘There is a room for that. And I have plenty of empty rooms to give to you two, even if I prefer if you’d sleep with me, instead.’

‘Here?’ Snape asked his expression not really telling whether he liked the idea or not.

‘I mean I know it’s still a work in progress, and that it’s kind of small,’ Harry said, trying to convince him. ‘And only recently did I manage to get running water to one of the taps, so that’s annoying, but—’

‘We’ll need a bigger bed, then,’ Sev just said, smiling. ‘As much as I enjoyed messing up Balck’s property, it’s not made for three people.’

‘But you two come to live with me then?’ Harry asked.

‘I don’t think it’s a secret I always hated my Muggle father’s house,’ the Potion Master stated, and then hugged Lucius. ‘And Lucius’s properties are confiscated…’

‘Which is a pity,’ the blond stated. ‘I’d take you two to each of them, showing you different countries and at least _all_ of the bedrooms they all have.’

‘When the season starts, I’ll be traveling to games all over the world,’ Harry noted. ‘You can show us then if you come with.’

‘I’ll… be in prison by then,’ Lucius said.

‘No you won’t, even if I have to kidnap you myself, I will,’ Harry said, earning a tired look from the Pureblood and an irritated one from Sev.

‘Let’s postpone everything illegal until we didn’t exhaust everything legal,’ Snape warned Harry. ‘I told you—’

‘Not to mention, I don’t wish you’d do that for me, Harry,’ Lucius said, kissing him now. ‘I’ve already told you—’

‘Well, I don’t care,’ the raven-haired wizard said. ‘If Kingsley takes you back there, I’ll go to the Prophet and make them publish I love you so that people want to set you free—’

‘That might just be to the opposite effect,’ Snape now said. ‘What’s more—’

‘What’s more, Sev would feel left out,’ Lucius now joked. ‘And we don’t want that.’

‘No,’ Severus admitted but went on. ‘But what I was saying… I’m a Potion Master. I can change your voice, eye color, hair color, face, height, weight, built, gender, number of arms, even your magical signature, with Potions, Lucius, so that they’d never find you. And I will, if you are doomed to go back, I just prefer not to do that, because—’

‘You like me blond,’ Lucius smirked. 'Or with two arms only.'

‘You couldn’t be with us, not for a time, if I’d do that. It would be too suspicious,’ Sev finished, making even Lucius shut up this time. No jokes, not anything. In fact, when he spoke again, his voice was weak.

‘Surely, I can’t let you do that the same way I can’t let Harry incriminate himself because of me, ruining his whole future—’

‘I’m not—’ Harry inserted, but Snape also said.

‘You forget, Luc, that I’m already a criminal. With the things I did,—’

‘I won’t let either of you go to jail instead of me, period,’ the blond now said.

‘Who said anything about being caught?’ Snape now pretended to be fake-offended.

‘Kingsley would know and do anything to prove it,’ Lucius argued. ‘In fact, I’m quite sure he already knows about us, he just couldn’t reveal it today because he’d have to admit he’s spying on Harry illegally.’

‘Well, if he is, I hope he sees this up close so he could almost feel it,’ Harry now said, kissing Lucius hard. ‘Just as he should know about all the times before…’

‘I’ll make a potion tracing any tracking,’ Snape said. ‘So that we can get rid of it. But until then, Harry does make a good point, and if some shady part of the Ministry is spying on any of us, we should give them something to watch, like, every day, at least twice—’

‘I don’t know. I mean it _surely_ sounds like a great deal of work,’ Lucius now mused.

‘Oh, it is. A very dirty, heavy work, under myself, on the top of Harry, and even other unforeseen situations—’

‘Like me topping you?’ the blond teased. ‘Oh, _wait!_ That’s not unforeseen, you actually love that.’

‘I _so_ don’t!’ the Potion Master denied.

‘Okay, than I just shouldn’t do it anymore, clearly.’

‘Well, maybe it’s not so bad—’ Snape said and Harry just laughed, knowing where this is going.

‘Well, it’s not like we _have to_ do it that way—’

‘Okay, I _want_ you fuck me. Just as much as I like to fuck you, Lucius, maybe even more,’ Snape gave in. ‘Or... just as much I love to do it with Harry.’

‘Oh, okay,’ Harry said, playing offended, mimicking Snape now. ‘I just _love_ -love-love you every way Lucius, no matter how you choose to take me or give in to me and… fuck, Potter’s there to sometimes too, now that I think about it.’

‘Now that’s not at all what I’ve said,’ Sev complained, but just until Lucius let go of an easy smile.

‘Well, I think, for one, that the resemblance was uncanny, Harry,’ the blond said just to tease the Potion Master. Who just rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything back, just only kissed Harry.

‘I’d have you anyway too, but you know that,’ he told the raven-haired wizard who just smiled.

In less than twenty minutes all three were in deep sleep, sharing a bed that was indeed quite narrow for three, but they were so close to each other it didn’t even matter for one night.


	6. Chapter 20 - The Price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the amazing comments and kudos, you guys, you are the best! XOXO
> 
> This chapter was the worst to write, but I have known that this was coming since chapter 15, so I'm just happy it's over and I can finally deal with it. 
> 
> I did make it longer, so you guys can see it's going to be alright, but couldn't deal with the complete aftermath so quickly, I'm sorry about that.

They were all standing in the office of McGonagall, Severus, Lucius, and Harry, waiting, and when Minerva came in, she just cast every charm Harry ever seen to conceal a conversation.

‘I’m afraid I have bad news, gentlemen. I talked with Kingsley personally about not approving Mr. Malfoy to work for Hogwarts, and there seems to be a bigger reason than Kingsley hating criminals,’ she said, her eyes fixed on them. ‘After a couple of Firewhiskeys, he let it slip that the Ministry is working on a potion that they intend to try on Mr. Malfoy.’

‘Are they now?’ Lucius asked, taking the news lightly.

‘It’s not stable, at least not yet,’ Minerva said. ‘But I’m under the impression that it is designed to take all things away from a person that’s considered negative by the Ministry.’

‘I don’t think there could be a potion to possibly achieve that, they consider a lot of things negative, Minerva,’ Snape mentioned.

‘Well, it’s not like I got much detail, but it takes away any dark magic, dark memories, and any future plans or thoughts of anything that’s not pure,’ McGonagall stated, her face stern. ‘And as Kingsley so happily added, it also is designed to make the recipient impotent permanently, I think the reason there is just humiliation, but—’

‘If you take away dark memories,’ Harry said, trying to not concentrate on the rest. ‘Of anyone, really, it’s not going to be the same person anymore.’

‘And such a complex potion should take years to be brewed correctly,’ Severus added, now looking pale.

‘I think Kingsley will make Mr. Malfoy drink it as soon as it’s not life-threateningly unstable. It might kill him, however, later on, but the Minister isn’t concerned about that. He wants to tell people that under his reign such potion was invented, converting the criminals to saints, and that’s how he wants to gain popularity,’ McGonagall went on. ‘And if a couple of actually captured criminals die, so be it.’

‘That doesn’t sound pleasant, although I must admit, I preferred if the potion killed me instead of turning me into someone who can’t even have dark thoughts,’ Lucius said. He didn’t seem upset, but then again, he surely was, so Harry just asked.

‘I can’t believe people will let Kingsley do this.’

‘The war was grueling, Mr. Potter, people want revenge and want to feel safe,’ the witch said, looking at him now. ‘And there are still some rogue Death-Eaters, and since Kingsley cannot catch them, he wants to show public he’s good for something at least.’

‘But this, this is…’ Harry couldn’t even say. Not in front of Lucius, who was expected to take the goddamn potion.

‘It’s not something I approve of,’ McGonagall, however, finished the sentence. ‘I remember when I thought Severus was… when I thought that you killed _him,_ Severus. And how desperately I wanted to hurt you. Since then I figured that revenge takes you nowhere.’

‘Well, I was a criminal, unlike Severus,’ Lucius stated. ‘I’ll have to live with that.’

‘Exactly,’ she replied back, now smiling. ‘It’s not my place to judge you, nor Kingsley’s. And you cannot regret it and maybe overcome that past life if he kills you. And believe me, if you drink that potion, you’ll end up as a shell. You will be dead, even if the potion is stable, which it might not be since Kingsley is so eager to get results.’

‘I won’t let him do this, there must be something I can do,’ Harry now spat, trying to control his anger, which might seem like an easy task, given that Kingsley wasn’t in the room, but yet it wasn’t. Lucius was Harry’s now, and Snape’s, and people wanted to hurt him, it was even worse than if people wanted to hurt Harry.

‘You, Mr. Potter, won’t do anything,’ she said pointedly.

‘That’s what I keep telling him,’ Snape now gave Harry a warning look.

‘However, I won’t stand for this happening, and I’ll help you escape, Mr. Malfoy,’ the Headmistress now turned to the blond, who just gave her a look of disbelief.

‘I… I thank you for the offer, but my son will be a father soon,’ Lucius said. ‘He was let go of Azkaban. If I escape, he will be shipped back instead of me. And any of you might be too if you help me.’

‘Congratulations on the former news, Mr. Malfoy,’ McGonagall bowed her head, but then added. ‘But I’m confident Draco’s ruling will stand, since it’s been already ruled on, and I’m talking about a way they won’t have proof against any of us, but will never find you.’

‘They will probably watch everyone I was in contact with here, and I will not spend the rest of my life running,’ Lucius stated.

‘You’ll be there in plain sight,’ McGonagall secretively said. ‘And they’ll have no idea.’

‘You can’t possibly suggest what I think you are suggesting, Minerva,’ Severus now just said, shocked, but the witch just told him.

‘You are my best friend, Severus. You told me to help you by helping Lucius Malfoy, and I assume you have a reason for it, that’s all that matters,’ she went on. ‘I will not lie, it’s dangerous, but Albus had a few tricks I can also help you with.’

‘What is it?’ now Harry was curious.

‘She wants Lucius to become an Animagus,’ Snape said, sighing. ‘It does require a potion which I can help with, but it also two full-moons, and an electrical storm, and a leaf of a Mandrake, which Lucius would have to keep in his mouth for a month...’

‘There are spells so that he won’t swallow that and that it shouldn’t really cause any discomfort,’ Minerva said, now her eyes somewhere else. ‘Ah, it takes me back.’

‘Why haven’t we thought about this?’ Harry now looked at Snape. ‘Lucius being an animal every time the Ministry raid our hom—houses, is actually a pretty good idea.’

‘I have considered it, but it’s dangerous. Lucius can be stuck in between an animal and human form, and it’s not reversible.’

‘That’s true,’ McGonagall nodded.

‘And we’d have to wait for an electrical storm. Sometimes it takes years—’

‘I… Albus had a way to induce one. I cannot say it’s simple, but I should be able to imitate his actions if I have time to prepare,’ the Headmistress now stood up. ‘I need to enlist some help of some creatures, but in a month that the leaf of the Mandrake is ready, I should be able to convince everyone that needs to be convinced.’

‘You’re going to make a sacrifice to one of the old gods or something?’ Severus now wondered. ‘That doesn’t sound safe—’

‘Let’s just say Albus knew someone. A friend of a friend,’ McGonagall said now, her voice soft. ‘And it’s not a storm-god, I heard those can be temperamental, and I value my life. But I can definitely help. And given what Kingsley is planning, I think Mr. Malfoy becoming an Animagus is safer than the risks it poses.’

‘It’s really nice of you, Headmistress,’ Lucius now said, however. ‘But Kingsley would know who helped me, and even if he cannot prove anything, he’d make all your lives hell, you know he’s resourceful that way.’

‘I’m not worried, Lucius,’ now she said. ‘And frankly, I doubt that anyone would be worried about a little petty revenge if you were important to them.’

Harry now wondered how much the witch exactly knew, but shut up, and only told the blond in their mind-link.

‘She’s right. I’d risk my life to save you.’

‘Which is exactly what I don’t want you to do—’

‘Luc, I want you to do this,’ now Snape joined, eyeing the other man remorsefully. ‘You heard what’s the alternative. I couldn’t live with myself if I let that happen to you. Even if you once were a shitty person, you don’t deserve that.’

That made Lucius smile faintly, and turn back to McGonagall.

‘Alright. But if I turn into a lion, do me a favor and kill me before I change back.’

‘I won’t be there to know,’ the Headmistress stated. ‘But if you are, I’m sure the Gryffindors could use a live mascot.’

Harry didn’t think he’d laugh at anything, not after hearing about Kingsley’s plans, but a faint chuckle escaped his mouth hearing that, provoking Lucius now to eye him as a traitor.

‘I do have a Mandrake leaf, here,’ McGonagall collected it and gave it to Lucius. ‘Be so kind and place it under your tongue, so I can spell it to stay there for a month. It’s going to be a full moon tonight, which is why I only chose to tell you this today, so we can start right away too. And I’m guessing you’re familiar with the potion, Severus?’

‘Yes.’

‘The incantation—’

‘I know it,’ Lucius now said. ‘I might be a criminal, but I’m not daft.’

‘Yes, I remember you as a student,’ she said. ‘I’m just making sure we don’t get sidetracked by a simple mistake. Now, did you ever produced a Patronus, Lucius? We cannot say for sure, of course, that it will match your Animagus form, but if your Patronus is some type f a rare animal that’s hard to explain, we still have time to plan another type of escape for you.’

‘I don’t have a Patronus, never had,’ the blond now stated silently. ‘And I don’t want another plan. If this doesn’t work—’

‘We’ll discuss that then,’ McGonagall just cut in. ‘And for now, here are your books about the topic. Please read it through carefully, so we can minimize the risk of you getting hurt…’

‘Thank you,’ Lucius said, seemingly a bit shaken.

‘Don’t act so surprised, rumor has it I’m getting soft with my age,’ the Headmistress now mentioned. ‘I’ll talk to you in two weeks, Lucius, and if you have any questions, send me a Patronus. At least you’ll learn that way. Now go, and don’t tell anyone, of course, that this conversation ever happened.’

She reminded Harry more and more of Dumbledore now, but they left. And Harry was relieved, and so was Severus probably, kissing Lucius just after the door to McGonagall’s office has closed, but the blond didn’t seem to be in a good mood at all.

Then, when they already went to sleep later that evening, Harry woke up when Lucius just got out of the new bed, and he decided to follow the blond.

‘I’m not escaping, I just couldn’t sleep, go back, Harry,’ he told Harry, sitting in a now clean but extremely old and banged-up-looking armchair, a book McGonagall gave him barely started, in his lap.

‘You… you aren’t like yourself lately, Lucius, I’m worried about you,’ the raven-haired wizard found he could sit to the other armchair, but instead, he took the book away from the blond, and sat on his lap, giving him a small kiss.

‘So you don’t like me when I’m doubtful. You sound like my father, calling me a pussy—’ the man muttered.

‘You mean so much to me, even when you’re weak or down, Lucius, how can you think otherwise?’ Harry quickly said. ‘But I can’t stand you torturing yourself because you think you deserve it.’

‘I’m making you, Severus and the Headmistress do this,’ Lucius now looked him in the eye. ‘I’m turning you all to criminals now, despite all my best efforts, and also putting Draco in danger.’

‘It’s not your fault if Kingsley is acting like this. I’d even save other Death Eaters from this, it’s so cruel.’

‘But you won’t,’ the blond pointed out. ‘You won’t go there and bust them out because they didn’t seduce you—’

‘Maybe I should.’

That made Lucius just shook his head, and then add much later.

‘You and Severus could be happy together as a couple. It’s your cores that are the same, not mine. I was planning to go back to jail the whole time. I only stuck around with you two because for one, I couldn’t stop myself, and second, I wanted to make sure you stay together after I’m gone.’

‘WHAT?’ Harry was now upset. ‘You told me you see two paths for us—’

‘I’m used to lying,’ Lucius said. ‘And I won’t turn to an Animagus, I can’t do this to you two, nor to Draco. All I have to do is remove the leaf from my mouth, and we won’t have time to try with this nonsense again.’

Harry could have slapped the blond for assuming so little of himself that he’d thought if he was in prison or worse, given the potion, Harry and Severus could just go on like nothing happened, like Lucius wasn’t a fundamental part of their relationship as the other two…

‘You’re telling me this, so you must want me to stop you,’ Harry instead of losing his temper tried to think.

‘I want you to understand. And help convince Sev not to do it. Harry, I’m begging you—’

‘NO!’ Harry now stood up. ‘In fact, promise me you won’t remove the leaf, or I’ll wake Severus right now and we’ll see what he thinks—’

‘Harry—’

‘No, Lucius, you have to trust us on this. I promise you it’s going to be okay, and we’ll help you, but you have to promise me you won’t ruin the leaf.’

The blond didn’t say anything, so Harry just shrugged.

‘I know it’s still secure in your mouth now. And I’ll watch you so you cannot do anything about it, and wake up Severus using the mental link—’

‘FINE! I promise,’ the blond said, his eyes angry, despite him being so good at hiding his emotions. ‘It’s not like you’d listen to me and my feelings about this—’

‘I love you more than that, right,’ Harry just said, making Lucius now shut up. ‘And now I’ll teach you how to conjure a Patronus.’

‘I can’t. If I could, I would already have one.’

‘No. You’ve never been really happy before, but I do believe you had some good moments lately,’ Harry corrected. ‘If you can’t think of anything, imagine the feeling when your grandson will be born. I know that family is important to you—’

‘You can’t just expect me to conjure a corporeal Patronus without a Dementor in sight—’

‘Right,’ Harry nodded. ‘Kreacher!’

‘Master Harry,’ the elf appeared without delay. ‘Is there something Kreacher can do for you?’

‘I need an illusion of a Dementor, quickly.’

The elf just produced one, and it was so life-like Harry felt his stomach drop. It looked real.

‘I can also make it move,’ the elf said.

‘Yes. Then you may leave,’ Harry said.

‘Here you go, Master,’ the elf bowed, and spelled the dementor to randomly come closer to them.

By then, Lucius was on his feet too, wand drawn.

‘If I told you to go back sleeping instead, would you listen?’ he now just casually asked Harry.

‘No,’ the raven-haired smiled. ‘You taught me so many things, some payback is in order.’

They were at it for hours now, and although Lucius could produce the spell, it still wasn’t a full corporeal one.

‘Can’t we just—’

‘We go again. Try a different memory, then,’ Harry said.

‘I already did that—’

‘Try another.’

All this just because they were trying to predict what was Lucius’s Animagus form so that if it’s too exotic what they can’t possibly call a pet they can come up with another way to save the blond.

‘Can it be a decision regarding the future, rather than a memory?’ now Lucius asked. ‘I mean—’

‘Probably,’ Harry said. ‘The memory I’m using isn’t real either. I think. It’s hard to say.’

‘Alright, but it’s almost morning already if this doesn’t work either, we should just sleep.’

‘Fine,’ Harry agreed. ‘But do me a favor and try for real—’

‘What did you think I was doing the whole time?’ Lucius asked. ‘Holding back? And it’s really tiring too, just so you know.’

‘Oh I know,’ Harry smiled. ‘At least this way you won’t have trouble sleeping later.’

‘You little minx,’ the blond gave him a look, but then stood his ground, and tried again.

This time, however, whatever “decision” he used, it worked. Harry could see something forming from the mist, and he was now anxious for it to be something that could just go unnoticed, making their lives easier…

Then, when he saw what it was, he just found himself laughing, and kissing Lucius, relieved.

‘A hive of bees,’ he smiled. ‘Lucius, if you turn into a bee, there is no way you pull their attention, you realize! I was so afraid it will be a fish or something to exotic—’

‘I mean really. Like really? Insects. I hate any type of insects, for Circe’s sake…’

‘This is good news, Lucius,’ Harry said.

‘If you go and call me honey I’ll end you,’ he just muttered, and that was when Severus appeared.

‘Why should we do that? And why aren’t you two sleeping like normal wizards do in the middle of the night? I almost panicked, with both of you being gone until I called Kreacher,’ he said, but then, he saw the Dementor illusion which the elf put in, and figured. ‘So, is it a lion then, Luc?’

‘Worse…’

‘For one, I think it’s sweet,’ Harry said, now making Lucius snap.

‘I told you, no jokes about it!’

‘I mean they are cu— actually bees are nice,’ Harry said, realizing “cute” wouldn’t do well either.

‘Bees?’ Snape now just asked, raising a brow. ‘As in more than one?’

‘Well, here,’ Lucius said, sighing, and using the spell again, creating a corporeal Patronus this time more solid, and surely, there were a bunch of bees, not just one flying around.

‘I’ve never heard of anyone who had multiple animals in their Patronus.’

‘No, it can be only me who is so lame—’

‘No, actually this gives us hope. Hiding a bee when the Ministry comes looking would be like child’s play. We can even set up a hive on the roof, and that way even if someone notices, we can claim it just made it’s way down. I just have to put a magical barrier up so that they don’t come after the sweet smell of some potion ingredients,’ Snape said, but Lucius didn’t look delighted.

‘How about we all just go to bed now? Please?’ he asked, and now pulling Harry by the hand, and waiting for Severus to follow. ‘Then, in the morning, I’ll grieve that I’m not turning into anything majestic, but just an insect…’

‘I don’t think you realize what this means, Luc, though,’ Severus now said, only when they settled back to bed, in the dark that’s been hit by the first rays of light already, the sun appearing outside the curtains.

‘No, I don’t think I know what you mean. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about bees—’

‘I mean that you have a happy memory now, and something important to fight for, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to conjure anything,’ Snape said.

‘I could have been a snake. I’d love to communicate with Sally, and I’m writing a book about the language…’

‘You can do that anyway, no need to turn into a snake,’ Harry noted now, yawning. 

‘I did think about the future when I managed to produce this one,’ the blond then admitted. ‘So we can say that now I have hope if nothing else.’

Harry just slid closer to the blond’s form in the bed, already half asleep, but Severus did kiss Lucius, hearing that, over him.

Harry did think about that night a hundred times later. He should have noticed, or Severus should have, or both of them, how Lucius was acting, feeling and producing that Patronus, they just didn’t pay attention… It was all their fault.

Or, they should have noted the behavior Lucius was sporting even since their talk with McGonagall. Two weeks after the Patronuses, Severus had some appointments in the Ministry, helping McGonagall with some school issue, something concerning the Forest.

And Harry spent pretty much every dinner with Draco and Ginny, and then a bit of Quidditch practice with Draco, since they both wanted to be ready and fit to join their teams, and that day they ended it early, because Ginny had a bit of a pregnancy-scare - she had pains in her stomach - which turned out to be nothing threatening, but then Harry didn’t want to just continue playing like nothing happened.

By the time he got home, it was strange that he couldn’t find Luc anywhere though, so he asked Snape, who was still stuck in the Ministry.

‘Maybe try Hogwarts,’ the Potion Master said. ‘And inform me when you do find him, I wonder if something happened.’

Harry then got to Lucius’s quarters in a couple of minutes and found it odd that the lights weren’t on, and that there was a letter addressed to Draco in Lucius’s desk. Why not send it? Why not talk to him in person?

 _‘You better hurry,’_ however, Sally spoke up, almost scaring him. _‘I couldn’t… stop him.’_

Harry didn’t waste his time asking the snake who and why.

 _‘What did you see?’_ he just asked quickly instead.

 _‘Put potion in his own drink. Went to the bedroom,’_ Sally told him. _‘Said to tell you it’s better this way, for everyone.’_

‘FUCK!’ Harry swore, barging into Lucius’s bedroom, finding him on the bed, heart still beating but unconscious, and pulse so faint he barely believed his diagnostic spells when they told him the blond was still alive.

‘Lucius, if you die on me now, I’m going to bring you back and kill you myself,’ Harry muttered, now his limbs shaking as he alerted McGonagall and Severus and Promfrey to come and help, already searching the blond’s possessions for a bezoar. He found none. He was just about to leave the wizard to get one from the Potions classroom when Severus appeared, and the first thing he did was gave Lucius one.

‘What did he take?’

‘I wasn’t… Sally said he put something in his own drink,’ Harry muttered.

‘He must have taken one of the potions we worked with,’ Snape said, now upset. ‘I should have watched him closely, but I had no idea—’

‘Why isn’t he waking up, Severus?’ McGonagall warned, just when Promfrey arrived.

‘He drank something?’ the Healer asked.

‘I found this,’ Harry produced the empty glass, and Pomfrey just frowned.

‘And you gave him a bezoar, I assume, Severus?’

‘I’m so _fucking stupid,’_ Snape now muttered, going paler then Harry ever seen him. ‘He took multiple potions, didn’t he? He knew what I was going to do, so he took more than one so that even if I try to save him with a bezoar, I’ll just end up poisoning him—’

‘Yes,’ the Healer nodded. ‘I need your permission to put him in Magical Coma, slowing his metabolism, before it spreads more—’

‘Do it,’ Harry had to say, because Severus left the room, and closed their mental connection too. And meanwhile Harry was worried about that too, he couldn’t just leave Lucius.

‘I feel like this is my fault,’ McGonagall now said. ‘I told him about that terrible potion. I should have kept it between myself and Severus—’

‘No, if anyone, I should have known,’ Harry said, trying to not cry, holding Lucius’s hand now. ‘He explicitly told me how Severus and I would have a better relationship without him, but I just thought I did manage to convince him not to do anything stupid.’

He didn’t realize he just admitted being so close to the blond, but neither McGonagall nor Pomfrey seemed to be surprised nor did they show disgust, if they felt any.

‘I’ll take him to the Infirmary, where I have my equipment,’ Pomfrey said. ‘You can come with, but I’d rather—’

‘I have to,’ Harry now said. ‘I… aren’t there potions for this if we know what he’d taken?’

‘Yes, I think Severus went to look them up,’ McGonagall now stated. ‘But every two potions and a bezoar produce different toxins, and the subject isn’t widely investigated, given that it can be deadly if one isn’t an expert of Potions to brew the antidote for the victim. That’s why Severus had used his personal magic to cure you when you had the same problem, Harry.’

‘And from where Lucius got the idea no doubt,’ Harry was now crying in front of the two women, but they didn’t say anything at least.

‘If anyone, Severus can figure a cure,’ McGonagall tried to cheer him up now. ‘Only time is crucial. I expect this coma only slows the process down, but for not long.’

‘We have about 10 days,’ Promfrey said now. ‘But I’ve identified the potions of the glass, so if Severus can be informed…’

‘I’ll send him a Patronus,’ McGonagall said, pulling a chair up now, making Harry sit next to the bed Lucius was in, realizing Harry won’t leave the Infirmary now. ‘And order some elves to bring food for Harry.’

‘I’m not hungry,’ Harry said. This was all his fault, after all, he should be lying there…

‘You’ll eat or I’ll kick you out,’ Promfrey now said.

Then, everybody was gone, after Harry took a few bites, leaving them alone at last. It was then when Harry tried. Maybe he could give Lucius power the way he was able to give Severus…

But all the energy that left him, and went to the blond, rebounded, and Harry almost hurt himself trying. He didn’t understand. He did have magical cores matching Severus, but not Lucius? How come he felt like he loved the blond just as much? How was this _fair?_

‘I’m sending you home for sleep,’ three days later Pomfrey told him. ‘You cannot do this—’

‘I’ll sleep in a bed here.’

‘No, you won’t. Severus told me he’s working on the antidote, you should trust him. And if Mr. Malfoy wakes, you can’t be both zombies. One of you needs to watch him at all times to make sure he won’t try it again.’

‘She’s right, and I’m here anyway,’ Draco appeared with Ginny, just as they dropped by every day once at least. ‘You sleep 8 hours, Harry, and then you can come back, but I’m his family and won’t have you doing this.’

Harry could have argued how much right Draco had to send him away, but it wasn’t smart. He needed sleep, although he didn’t think he’d manage to get any anyway.

‘Alright. He… he has a Mandrake leaf in his mouth. It’s secure, but if he wakes up, we’re going to need it to stay there,’ he told Draco. ‘So… if by some miracle his magic would just suddenly overcome the toxins, you can’t let him get rid of it, okay, Dray?’

‘Yeah, I get it, I will be here the whole time,’ Draco said, sitting down in the chair Harry just vacated.

‘And so will I,’ Ginny now squeezed his hand. ‘But you go and get some rest, Harry. And maybe also check up on Snape too.’

Harry just nodded, although he ordered Kreacher before to abandon everything else and help Severus with the research and make sure the Potion Master ate regularly, he still had his doubts, stepping into the lab on the fifth floor.

Snape didn’t even look at him.

‘Can I help?’ he asked.

‘Don’t waste my time,’ Sev now just noted. ‘I’m fine. You should just stay with him.’

‘Draco is there, they sent me to sleep.’

‘Then go.’

‘Severus, I’m so sorry—’

That made the Potion Master look up but he then just shook his head.

‘He took two very deadly poisons. If you didn’t get there, he’d have died in possibly less then ten minutes. I, on the other hand—’

‘If he knew we were going to give him a bezoar, and he decided to use that, it’s not your fault, Severus.’

‘I should have known and examined the glass first. Giving him the antidotes. He’d still have a severe reaction ingesting so many poisonous ingredients, probably, but his magic could have handled that. I was… so afraid for his life that I… didn’t stop to think and I killed him.’

Now he was crying, and when Harry got there, he didn’t even resist the hug Harry pulled him into.

‘He told me… that you should be only with me. I was the idiot for not noticing how much he meant it,’ he told Severus, who just let go of him.

‘I should get back to work. But you should get some rest. When he wakes up, he’ll need someone and I will probably be dead tired,’ he told Harry, already back to scrambling some notes on pages that were all around in the room.

By day nine Harry was watched by Promfrey closely, she probably was worried that what he would do if Lucius now died, and Harry couldn’t take that, so he decided to call Draco to take the watch over, and dressed up formally, going to the Ministry, even patiently waiting when they told him Kingsley was busy. When he felt himself going sentimental, he just gripped his wand tighter, his mind already made up.

Then, before Kingsley even appeared, Severus now came up to him. He looked like a corpse, his eyes shallow and deep circles under them.

‘Harry, whatever you’re planning… I hit a breakthrough. I got it and made the potion. It will take time, but he’ll wake.’

‘Good. You are truly a genius, Sev,’ he said now, with a weak smile. ‘Now go back and have a nap on his bedside if you have to, it shows you used potions to not sleep for at least a week.’

‘And you?’

‘I don’t need witnesses for what I’m going to do—’

‘Harry, you can’t hurt Kingsley, no matter how much it pains me to say this—’

‘Oh, I won’t. And I kind of counted on you managing the potion, that’s why I’m here,’ Harry now just smiled at Severus. ‘To offer a deal to Kingsley, actually, but it’s not totally legal, so I want you to know nothing about—’

‘Lucius still can transform… as we planned,’ Severus cautiously said, even via their mental links, so the Ministry surely doesn’t know anything about it.

‘Yes, I’m counting on that too. You’ve done what you could, Severus, so now just trust me to do what I can.’

To that, the Potion Master just looked at him, then breathed a small kiss on his lips, before pulling away.

‘I do… but be back soon. I want you to be there when he wakes for sure.’

‘I will,’ Harry said. Then, Kingsley offered to accept his visit in his office - so Harry had to parade himself over the whole floor, advertising their connection, but he didn’t mind.

‘Minister, let me cut straight to the chase,’ he said, eyeing Kingsley now before the other had a chance to sit them down or say hello.

‘Of course! You fancy a drink, Harry? I—’

‘I won’t be staying that long,’ he told. ‘I just have a proposition. Or rather, you can call it a deal. Muggle-governments use them quite frequently.’

‘Alright, that sounds a bit strange, but tell me what is this about,’ the man smiled at him now.

‘Lucius Malfoy. The man just tried to kill himself—’

‘He did what?’ Kingsley’s smile faded.

‘Yes, it’s just dumb luck he’s alive,’ Harry said, not willing to reveal it was all thanks to Severus’s genius that saved the blond. ‘So the deal—’

‘Or maybe he just acted like he wanted to die, manipulating you, knowing he’d be saved well.’

‘Well then, he fooled me,’ the raven-haired wizard didn’t even try to argue. Unlike Severus, he did get some shut-eye the past week, but it wasn’t enough for him to have the patience with Kingsley. ‘Anyway, the deal is this: you put me in charge of Lucius Malfoy, saying it’s a program to rehabilitate criminals by placing them under house arrest with war heroes, or something you prefer, I don’t fucking care. And in return of the irrevokable papers that exonerate Lucius from every crime he ever did, I’ll make your career, Minister.’

‘That’s a nice offer, but it won’t happen, Harry, and besides—’

‘Shut up,’ Harry calmly said. ‘I’m not finished. In return for Lucius Malfoy’s life, I’ll provide you the exact location of the remaining uncaptured Death Eaters. All you’ll have to do is send your men to collect them.’

‘What, if you know their location and don’t disclose them, that’s a crime!’ Kingsley now got to his feet. ‘You can’t hold it back, that makes you a conspirator if not worse—’

‘Oh, but I don’t yet know their location, only if I chose to, Minister. And I’ll swear under oath that I don’t know anything, and deny this conversation ever happened if I have to—’

‘You won’t get away with—’

‘And I’ll also contact the Death Eaters myself. They are quite desperate without a leader now, scattered, feeling lost, but I assure you, I’m guessing they all hate your ass collectively. And if I happen to unite them and send them after you, how long do you think you’d last? I mean if you’re dead, the next Minister might just let Lucius go more easily, or I could just get him killed too.’

‘You’re bluffing and doing life-threats now,’ Kingsley just hissed back. ‘And all this because of a criminal? Harry, I don’t recognize you anymore—’

‘That criminal is my problem now, not yours,’ Harry just said, not letting the Minister provoke him. ‘And you’re right, of course. I changed. Voldemort’s men wouldn't accept me as a leader otherwise if you don’t make this deal with me right now.’

‘They will never except you!’ the Minister now smiled.

‘Are you sure?’ Harry now let go of all the bad feelings and thirst for revenge he felt the last nine days, his power darkening the room, catching Kingsley off guard. ‘I could even kill you now, Minister. Or I could decide to pursue a career in Politics and destroy everything you built, just so that History won’t even remember you. As far as I’m concerned—’

‘I can call Aurors right here and right now. You can’t think the Minister of Magic doesn’t have safety—’

‘You could, but then you’d have to explain the wizarding media what made Harry Potter want to kill you, and have to prove I was trying to do it. So far you’re unharmed, Kingsley.’

‘I—’

‘Besides, you want this deal desperately,’ Harry now stood up. ‘You are an incapable man, and rounding up all the rogue Death-Eaters could just get you somewhere you’d never get to otherwise. You’ll just have to pay the price first.’

‘I don’t—’

Harry left the office without looking back. 

‘Send me an owl if you ready to make the fucking deal, Kingsley.’

Then, he was back to Lucius’s bedside, finding the sleeping Severus there in a chair, his hand on Lucius’s. Draco was on the other side, looking at Harry questioningly because of the way he was dressed, but not saying anything.

‘How is he?’ Harry asked.

‘Promfrey says he can be up real soon. But might have some problems due to the exertion of his magic,’ Draco said quietly. ‘I just don’t know what to say when he wakes. He wrote me a letter you know—’

‘And you’ve read it?’

‘I thought he was good as dead,’ Draco admitted. ‘And it wasn’t long. It just states that Ginny will be a perfect mother and that I should do what makes me happy, instead of letting people push me. Plus, he legally transferred the Malfoy name to me. It’s not like I get any money because of that, the Ministry took everything away, but I inherit the name and my child could carry on the Malfoy Line.’

‘That’s nice, considering he only ordered my snake to tell me it’s better this way for everyone,’ Harry noted, making Draco sigh.

‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he’s wrong. I saw how you and Snape were the last couple of days, and father’s changed too. It's not something I can understand, but only a blind person would deny you care for and need each other. All three of you.’

‘I think you’re right,’ Harry now just looked at Snape, sleeping, but holding onto Lucius like his life depended on it. ‘But if Lucius cannot see that, I might just leave them both. I’d rather they be happy together as a couple then lose everything in three. OUCH!’

Draco now hit him in the back of his head, quite strongly too.

‘What has gotten you three into this mess in the first place? Father believing that if he left it will be okay. Now you think I’ll let you tell me the same?’

‘It’s not—’

‘Harry, just because you’re younger, you matter just as much as them. And it would only make all of you suffer!’

‘You’re right,’ Harry admitted, now deciding that he shouldn’t leave. It’s one thing that he barely could bring himself to do it, and another if it was for nothing. If Lucius’s problem wasn’t Harry, he had no reason to leave.

‘OF COURSE I AM!’ Draco now said, hitting him again.

‘Ouch, will you stop? I already admitted you’re right!’

‘But even thinking such things, Harry!’

‘Yes, you shouldn’t think everything’s your fault,’ both wizards stopped and turned when Lucius was now talking behind them.

‘Let me wake Sev,’ Harry said, but the blond just shook his head.

‘Let him sleep. I’m—’

But Harry didn’t want to face this alone, so by now, he woke Severus, who just looked at him, but then followed Harry’s stare, and now squeezed Lucius’s hand tighter, not saying anything.

In fact, no one could. Then, Harry just realized something, speaking up.

‘You thought about killing yourself. When you conjured that Patronus. You really were convinced it’s for the best—’

‘I’m sorry. I had hopes Severus won’t be able to manage the double-poisoning,’ Lucius now said quietly, eyes shifting to the Potion Master. ‘But you were always a genius—’

'Fuck that,’ Severus drawled. Then he almost added something, but changed his mind and didn’t. Instead, he said something else, turning to Draco. ‘I’m sorry, Draco, but can you leave us? You should get some sleep.’

‘Of course,’ the blond said, then turned to his father. ‘For the record, I’m glad you’re okay. And we’ll drop by in the morning with Gin to visit.’

Then, when he left, Severus just pulled his shoes off and extended the bed of Lucius to be wider.

‘Move over, I’m sleeping next to you,’ he told the blond, making Lucius mutter, but not object. And then, when Snape settled, he just looked at Harry now.

‘And you? Do I need to write a written invitation or something?’

Harry got rid of some of the layers that were only necessary for the Ministry and climbed into Lucius’s other side. He slid closer to the blond, kissing his neck, and even though Lucius had his back to him, he now saw that blond was crying. But Severus wiped the tears away, and kissed him on the lips, then closing his eyes one second and falling asleep in the next.

'Goodnight, Lucius,' Harry said but waited for the blond to fall asleep before he could let himself do the same.


	7. Chapter 21 - Careful What You Wish For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for sticking with me! All the comments and kudos, despite the contents of the last chapter. Thank you, everyone! I promise from now on it will gradually get better for this three, although I don't know how often I will be able to update, I'm super-busy TBH. Thank you! XOXO
> 
> Also, some smut coming up. Hope you guys aren't bored with this trio having sex yet! *laughs*

A few days a later, when Lucius got to come home with them, even thought Pomfrey warned them not to leave him alone or let him practice magic for a while, just to be safe, Harry got up in their bed, when Severus was dressing already in the morning.

Since the incident, Sev brewed potions the whole day, leaving Lucius to Harry to babysit, and also distancing himself by spending all his waking hours in the lab, doing more work than ever. Well, not today, Harry decided.

‘It’s Sunday, Sev. You can’t work through the weekend,’ he mumbled, half asleep.

‘Watch me,’ the Potion Master declared, making Harry switch to communicate in their minds.

‘We can’t go on like this, Lucius already probably noticed how you closed off you are—’

‘Well, no wonder,’ Severus now drawled at him in their heads. ‘I won’t… I _can’t_ love someone who is so desperate to get rid of his life.’

‘Like we both weren’t close to death before?’ Harry’s voice in their mental connection, however, made Severus freeze just when he was ready to leave the room. ‘And as if you’re avoiding him now wouldn’t hurt you if he tried again…’

‘I was stupid enough to get into this… relationship in the first place!’ Sev now looked at him, making Harry just raise an eyebrow.

‘Oh?’

‘It’s… I’m _quite_ furious with him,’ Severus didn’t meet his eyes, but he came back, and sat on the edge of their bed now, which was as good as him taking the previous comment back. ‘And I’m afraid I’ll end up blaming him, or just let it slip, and that’s the last thing he needs. He’d just take it as a sign to deepen his self-resentment probably, and I won’t be the tool for him to do that.’

‘He needs you. He needs you more now than ever, Sev. He doesn’t need you to say anything or lie, but he needs a good fuck like nothing has changed. You ignoring him—’

‘But everything HAS changed!’ the Potion Master almost screamed at him in their heads and took a deep breath to calm himself down. ‘My mind goes back thinking what would have happened if I didn’t get the potion right when I did. Every time I look at him, that’s what I see, and I can’t...’

‘You also need a good fuck then,’ Harry announced, just shockingly enough for Severus to look him in the eye now. ‘Doctors orders.’

‘I don’t get how you’re so cheerful.’

‘I’m not,’ Harry now told him. ‘So why don’t you just come and fuck me before breakfast?’

To that Sev made an undignified sound, just before latching his lips to Harry’s in a sloppy kiss.

And Harry was content he got him to. The first step was getting their intimacy back, then he’ll make both Lucius and Severus forget what happened, even if he had to carry both of their weights alone for a while. He was strong when he had no other choice, and his will supplied that the upcoming weeks will be spent like that.

He just hoped his Occlumency will hold up good, and that he won’t have to spread himself too thin between Lucius and Severus before the other two reconciled.

Lucius must have been awake, pretending to sleep, because when Severus pushed Harry back to the pillows, the blond just looked at them, and was getting out of the bed next, but Harry’s grip encircled his wrist before he could get away.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

‘Harry, I’m not doing anything, I’m just going to take a shower and let you two—’ the blond said, but Harry was already pulling him back, not letting him go.

For Severus’s credit, when Harry pulled the Pureblood wizard back with force, Severus did reach out for Lucius too, now kissing him deeply, and to that Lucius was responding. There was no way he wouldn’t, and Harry felt hopeful accomplishing this.

He even shook his head when Sev now looked up at him as if he was going to join.

Merlin, even if he was full of worries lately, seeing Snape take the blond was just as mind-blowingly hot as always, even if both wizards were frustrated and pent up, so it didn’t even last long. Harry didn’t even finish with them, although he was working on himself.

‘I think I should help you with that,’ Lucius kissed Harry, turning away from under Severus now, and Harry was about to say it was okay, but only then did he realize Lucius’s eyes were shiny, tears threaten to spill out anytime. Probably from the relief that Sev still wanted him. And his offer was a way to hide that from Severus, surely.

‘No, I’ll do that,’ Snape, however, had other ideas, kissing now into the nape of Lucius’s neck. ‘I need you to fuck me in the meantime, though, Luc.’

To the blond’s credit, he could pull a totally expressionless face at hearing that, only blinking a couple of times as he let Harry go of the kiss.

‘You never asked me to, before.’

‘All I ask is that you return the favor,’ Severus now said, closing his eyes when Lucius got behind him and used a lubricating charm to enter two digits in him.

‘You don’t have to push yourself too hard, Sev,’ Harry now said via their link, while now Severus was between him and the blond, lowering his mouth to engulf Harry’s cock while Lucius was now stretching from the behind.

‘No, in fact, you were right,’ the older wizard now looked up at him, his mouth full, but his eyes burned holes to Harry’s own, his message clear in Harry’s head all the same. ‘I did need this _badly_.’

Harry came when Lucius now entered Severus, making the latter moan around Harry’s erection, the raven-haired wizard releasing to Severus’s mouth so hard he was surprised he didn’t choke him. Lucius was still just beginning to move earnestly behind Severus, making Harry stay where he was, his fingers in Severus’s hair, his eyes meeting Lucius’s just as the blond was about to lose himself too, along with Sev, who was now saying Lucius’s name over and over again, as if it was a mantra.

Harry couldn’t help but wonder how lucky he felt he could be there with them, both of them, and all the fear that bottled up inside him the last week seemed a degree smaller from that high.

In fact, the scare for Lucius’s life, the possibility of losing him, made Severus stop denying he wanted Lucius on the top of him, and the blond seemed to enjoy it. Maybe Harry wasn’t even needed but wasn’t leaving. Not with Lucius being how he was now, at least, that was sure.

Then, Lucius keyed Harry mentally to their orgasm too, making Harry hiss, and come back to the present immediately, and they ended up laying next to each other, the other two's breath slowly evening out.

‘Thank you,’ Lucius’s voice made the raven-haired wizard look pointedly at the blond.

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Harry now responded.

‘I don’t need you start lying to me now, Harry,’ Lucius just stated via their link, sadness in his voice, but he wasn’t in the edge of tears anymore, so Harry smiled at him weakly.

‘I’m taking us out to our restaurant,’ Severus announced from the middle of them. ‘By the time we all clean up, we can almost call it a lunch.’

‘You really don’t have to for me,’ Lucius stated, but the Potion Master just turned to him.

‘It’s for me and my sanity after all that work, actually,’ Sev just stated, so they went. Only, without Lucius making a fool of himself, and constantly teasing both Harry and Severus, it was still different. But forcing Lucius to pretend to be happy was worse in Harry’s eyes, so he decided to get to the blond another way when they got home.

‘Luc, do you reckon Tom was vain?’ he decided to start with that, and only slowly work towards the problem before the aristocrat tells him there is no way he’d help Harry with something so dangerous.

‘Is that a trick question?’ now the wheels in the blond’s head were definitely turning. He couldn’t figure why Harry would ask this out of blue, and this got him into thinking, which Harry wanted.

‘It’s not.’

‘Depends on how vain is meant, but generally, I think we could say he was.’

‘A hypothetical then,’ Harry went on, smiling. ‘If Voldemort had a treasure box and he could place a lock on it—’

‘A treasure box?’

‘A secret chamber where he kept all his valuables, then,’ Harry tried but didn’t go far.

‘Why would he need one when one could just go to Gringotts?’

‘Luc, you’re not helping. For the sake of this particular case, let’s say he wanted to keep something valuable, and he kept it under a lock.’

‘Instead of just simply using a spell to protect it?’

‘Yes,’ Harry nodded, a faint smile on his lips now. ‘Would he charm the lock only open to his magical core, so when he touches the lock it will open, but no one else could possibly fake that magical signature since it’s given—’

‘So now he still uses charms? Where is this going, Harry?’ Lucius asked.

‘I would tell you if you’d let me!’ Harry argued. ‘So, would he use his magical signature or something else he is more proud of?’

‘Like?’

‘If he could speak a language no one could, for instance,’ Harry shrugged.

‘Parseltongue, you mean,’ Lucius announced.

‘No, not really a spoken language, but close,’ the raven-haired wizard admitted.

‘Parselscript, then?’ the blond kept on guessing.

‘Wait, there is— okay, of course, there is such thing,’ Harry exclaimed, thinking how stupid it was he didn’t assume there was a written form as well. ‘But I actually meant a third option.’

‘Is there a third option with Parselmouths?’ Lucius now just stared at him.

‘Suppose there is. Wouldn’t Tom be so vain he figured it out he’d use it to protect his… erm, lock just because he could?’

‘Certainly,’ Lucius said, but they weren’t really talking about the lock and the treasure box anymore, were they. ‘But what’s the third option?’

‘Non-verbal Parseltongue,’ Harry stated.

‘Tsk!’ Lucius hissed. ‘That’s absurd!’

‘Is it? If I’ve seen Tom open this lock without speaking and couldn’t shake the thought that he used Parseltongue to do it, why would it be?’ Harry argued.

‘He always talked with his snake out loud, for one. Why not use it then?’ Lucius was now already helping Harry, and he still had no idea what was this about, so it was good. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even do Harry the favor to think it through.

‘Why bother when no one could understand them anyway? And also, he showcased his ability in front of the Death Eaters by speaking it out loud. I mean we already established he was vain about this ability. But what if he also could use it non-verbally? Wouldn’t he proudly want to use it as a lock just to prove he _can_?’

‘You had a hunch that there is such thing,’ Lucius now shook his head. ‘It’s not in any literature I’ve read, and I’ve read quite many books about Parselmounths.’

‘But not written by actual Parselmounts themselves, only about them,’ Harry argued. ‘And we can establish that Parseltongue can work as spells would, like opening the door of the Chamber of the Secrets. And you’ve just told me there is a written form as well. Is it really a jump that it can work non-verbally too, just like spells?’

‘There is a slight possibility. And if it was to exist, I guess we’ve established the Dark Lord would be eager to use it just to impress, even if no one knew. But now tell me what this is really about, Harry,’ the blond asked, impatient, still not understanding.

‘I think Tom controlled the Dark Mark - his creation, his treasure, if you will - with non-verbal Parseltongue.’

‘I see,’ Lucius just said, now looking at Harry. ‘Maybe while I write the book on Parseltongue, I could research it, or you could attempt to get Sally to help you achieve it, but my guess that even if there is such thing, it would take years to figure.’

‘I need it sooner. Much sooner.’

‘Why?’ for Luc’s credit, he didn’t seem mad. Yet.

‘I want to reverse-summon the Death Eaters still on the run so that I could direct the Aurors to their hiding places. I’m hoping that the unmarked Death-Eaters will gravitate towards their marked friends anyway, so we can catch them all.’

‘I thought you aren’t going to be an Auror, Harry, and it’s dangerous, even if your wild theory is right. And you’d need a Dark Mark to do anything, even Voldemort had to use one to access the others.’

‘I thought I would transfer Draco’s to myself. Get the criminals. And then erase them all together,’ Harry said. ‘If I had one so close to my magic, I could also figure the key to the lock much faster so that I could command it, I’m quite sure.’

Now Lucius finally figured out what this was about, and his face was in a frown.

‘You want to ship all remaining criminals to Kingsley so he can get popular with catching them, and not using that horrid potion on me. You’re willing to take the deadly risk of tampering with the Dark Mark, on a _hunch_ , just to save me. You. Are. Out. Of. Your. Mind!’

‘It’s not a hunch, it’s something he’d do for sure! You just said so!’

‘The Dark Mark could kill people from distance, Harry, so traitors were easier to deal with,’ Lucius said. ‘That’s not just a myth. And even if it’s faded now a bit again, it still has enough stamina I’m sure would kill my son and you both the minute you’d try to replace it!’

‘I leave you two for 10 seconds until I read a letter Minerva sent me, and you’re yelling now?’ Severus found them then, asking this jokingly, because they weren’t yelling, but not ready to laugh it away either… Seeing the tension between them, the Potion Master changed to a more serious tone too. ‘What now?’

‘Harry wants to learn to command the Dark Mark to get Kingsley let me teach at Hogwarts.’

‘Actually, to get Kingsley to let you live with me, Luc,’ Harry noted, but he wasn’t heard, because now Severus turned to him, seemingly upset.

‘I’m quite sure the Dark Lord thought about a painful death to anyone who would attempt to just as much as look at the Mark the wrong way!’ Severus now said. ‘Did you know it cannot even be put under glamours to hide it? I once tried and it made me sick for two weeks, and this was with the aid of potions to get better and between the two wars when Dark Lord was supposed to be dead, and the Mark must have lost most of its strength because it was faded.’

‘I know it’s risky, but not impossible,’ Harry said.

‘It’s mad, and I won’t let you—’ Sev now was about to forbid Harry to do anything, which was futile really, because both of them knew Harry will try nonetheless…

‘If you can prove to me that nonverbal Parseltongue exists, with just one spell, I’m willing to believe you and even help you with the research,’ Lucius, however, interrupted. ‘Which I would need to do anyway for my book, and this way at least you’ll have a tiny bit of a chance to survive…’

So, Lucius believed Harry was right, and if such thing existed Tom would have used it!

‘However,’ the blond went on, looking at Snape. ‘If you can’t even do a simple spell, you can’t possibly expect to control the Mark, so you’d have to listen to Sev and not attempt anything then.’

Severus still didn’t look pleased, but it was a fair compromise, so when Harry looked at him, he just pressed his lips together and muttered.

‘Fine! As if anything I say matters to any of you!’ he sounded like sulking, actually, which made Lucius grin.

‘Oh but it does,’ he stepped closer to the Potion Master now, with the eyes that were matching a predator close to its prey. ‘The way you chanted my name, Sev, I felt like it was a spell turning me even more on—’

Now it was Severus’s turn to blush, and mutter a “shut up”, but then they ended up kissing, and he didn’t look that reluctant at all. Then, when it ended, Sev pulled away and cleared his throat, now announcing.

‘I thought we could go to the outskirts of the city and pick up a hive of bees today,’ he looked at both Harry and Lucius. ‘For another plan to hide Lucius, that could actually _work_.’

‘Mine will work too,’ Harry stated firmly. ‘Just wait and see, _Snape_!’

‘Now you’ve done it,’ Lucius chuckled to Sev. ‘You’ve provoked him, so even if there isn’t a nonverbal version, he’ll invent it just to prove you wrong.’

‘Well, it’s great to have a dream,’ Severus now said, looking at Harry, for whom it took some time to register that the corners of Sev’s lips now were curling a bit up, so it must have been teasing…

‘Oh, well, Severus, if you believe you’re the only genius in this family, you’ll be sourly disappointed later, darling,’ Harry found himself saying, half-realizing he just complimented the other when it was intended as an insult, but anyway…

‘Obviously, because Luc is here too if that’s what you mean,’ Sev just smiled now, his mood surely much better than in the morning. And it was tricky because Harry couldn’t just deny Luc was smart as hell too, so it took a beat to come up with a retort.

‘Oh, yes, how could I ever forget him,’ Harry stepped closer to the blond, now making Severus eye them irritated, grabbing Harry’s and then Lucius’s hand to Apparate them to the beekeeper.

By the time they got a hive - Lucius’s choice, of course - and they set it up with magic on the roof, most of the day was gone, but luckily they managed to return somewhat normal, even if Harry was sure Severus will be back to his lab come Monday morning.

‘Maybe we could invite Ginevra and Draco for the dinner,’ Severus said, when they ended up in the drawing room, Severus on a couch with Lucius using his lap as a pillow, now reading one of the Animagus books Minerva gave him.

Harry was sitting opposite to them, reading about Parselscript. And Sev seemed content with not doing anything after all the work and picked up playing with Lucius’s hair instead of a book.

‘We could, but now today,’ Lucius answered, looking up at Severus’s eye. ‘I just don’t feel like I could behave pleasant enough with the young Weasley.’

‘Maybe we could go out then,’ Harry noted. ‘We’re in London, after all, I’m quite sure there are Muggle clubs open still. We could have a drink or two.’

‘So that women will be hitting on both of you?’ Sev now just frowned. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

‘I was talking about gay clubs, actually,’ Harry just shrugged.

‘That’s—’

‘Actually, I want to go. And have some fun,’ Lucius now interrupted before Severus could finish saying that was the worst idea ever. And now, that the blond stated that, the Potion Master couldn’t just say no, because he still walked on eggshells around Lucius, after what happened.

‘Not my definition of fun,’ Snape now frowned, but then looked at the Pureblood. ‘But if you want to go, good thing we still are in our Muggle attire.’

They ended up going, and Severus even ordered them a round of drinks, and cleared a booth for them with a little bit of non-verbal magic, sending only one person away, but then they’d have a table.

Lucius drowned the drink as soon as they got them, which would have made Harry concerned, but then the blond was grabbing him by the hand.

‘And now we dance. Sev you can join anytime you want.’

‘I rather am here,’ the Potion Master now claimed, surprised.

Well, it wasn’t a bigger surprise that hit Harry, given that he was now dragged to the middle of the dance floor - not even the side, mind you - and now was supposed to dance in front of all those strangers. Lucius already dancing didn’t help at all, given that he was _phenomenal_.

There was too much noise of the pumping music to talk, so Lucius used their mental link.

‘Just do what I do, Harry. You’re a natural at Quidditch and dare I say, in the bed, dancing is not that different.’

‘It’s not even the same planet!’ Harry thought back, now pushed to dance, but every movement of him smelled from awkward. ‘Maybe you should try to see if Severus can dance instead because I surely can’t.’

‘Nonsense,’ now the Pureblood only turned Harry, pushing his front to Harry’s backside, meanwhile showing the raven-haired wizard where Snape sat, eyes on them. ‘And don’t think about anyone else, just Severus, and giving him a show.’

Harry still wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but then the music changed, and this one was almost hypnotic. Just as well as Lucius pushing his hip against Harry’s, his body heat close, his hot breath on Harry’s neck now, all the while Severus’s eye connected to Harry’s, taking a sip of his drink while he was watching them so intently.

Soon the whole place changed, as if there weren’t any more people there, only the three of them, meanwhile, there still were bodies around them, but only to add a bit of natural excitement to what they were doing, and Harry found himself dancing without feeling ridiculous. In fact, he abandoned looking at Severus after a while, turning to face Luc, and now they weren’t even trying dance seductively.

In fact, they might have ended up competing who used the most ridiculous moves, and neither of them was really winning.

Harry was grinning now, but only until the track changed once more, and now Lucius stepped in front of him, pressing his backside to Harry’s lap with the music, making Harry almost instantly erect.

‘Why do I have the feeling you’ve… done this before?’ Harry now just managed to ask via their link. For his credit, he was hard but still could carry on dancing, A feat he wouldn’t give himself credit for.

‘I didn’t, but I do enjoy it _immensly_ ,’ the blond now just said, capturing Harry for a hot kiss, right there and right then.

The next thing Harry knew he could have cum in his pants, because this wasn’t what he signed up for, so he pulled away from Lucius, just to breathe, and then as his mind would be just about to clear, he felt Severus appearing behind him, kissing into Harry’s neck from the behind.

They were double-teaming him, those Slytherin bastards! But Harry was so not complaining, in fact, his eyes might have closed on their own accord, only enjoying the music and the bodies of both Lucius and Severus so close to his.

‘I take it back,’ Sev now stated in their heads. ‘This _isn’t_ that bad.’

Lucius just laughed out loud, then the upcoming lyrics he changed to “why don’t you ride my broom” in their minds, but also humming out loud, making Harry smile, just as probably Severus was.

Unfortunately, after two tracks or so, Severus left them, going back to their table, and when a stranger now appeared there, making him blush, Lucius only grabbed Harry and muttered.

‘No, not on my watch!’

‘Can I help you?’ Lucius then asked, his tone icy, but polite, making the stranger conversing with Snape suddenly turn. ‘Did you get lost on your way to the toilet, by any chance?’

The stranger turned, and the only shirt he was wearing didn’t at all covered up his fully muscled body. Lucius wasn’t a short person by any chance, but this man definitely towered over him.

‘I was just asking this hot thing out, blondie,’ he announced. ‘Are you his boyfriend? But then, I guess not!’

He laughed, saying that because he noticed Lucius was holding Harry beside himself.

‘They are both mine,’ Lucius now said, and the way he said it, although it shouldn’t, made Harry feel so good. ‘And if you have a problem with that, I’d be happy to show you why just provoke me, I dare you.’

The stranger now looked at Severus with a pitiful expression.

‘Really, hot stuff? A Barbie and a Tyrion?’ he now just asked, and not Severus nor Lucius got those references, but Harry did, and he kind of felt insulted for both himself, and the character he was compared to.

‘Well, _Hulk,_ it is what it is,’ he told the stranger now. ‘And we would appreciate if you left. You must be uncomfortable too, with all those muscles but not half the brain Severus possesses.’

‘You little—’ the man got angry now, as so often the shallow people at his caliber would do. But by then, Lucius just sighed.

‘I warned you, Troll. To think you can attack Harry and I won’t hex your balls off, you’re gravely mistaken!’

‘We better go home,’ Severus now stood, in fact, he stepped in front of the Muggle, protecting him. ‘After all—’

Harry just spelled the Muggle to go home instead, sitting down.

‘No, I think we could have another round of drinks, in fact, I’m paying.’

‘It’s getting late,’ Sev argued, but by then, Lucius took a seat across Harry, bringing Severus down with him.

‘Harry’s right. One Muggle arsehole shouldn’t ruin our whole night.’

In fact, they all got their drinks and some more.

‘From the gentlemen in the bar,’ the waiter announced, and two men now were raising their drinks to them.

Severus blushed again, making Lucius smile at Harry first, before accepting the drink, nodding at the couple at the bar.

‘I’m not familiar why a couple would order drinks for all three of us, Harry,’ then he said, smiling at the two, but his attention on Harry.

‘Hell if I know,’ it was Harry’s turn to blush. ‘Maybe they’d like to experiment or something.’

‘They aren’t bad, but I’m not the experimenting type,’ Lucius now sighed. ‘Even for hot people.’

To that, Severus snorted.

‘Really, Luc? I mean, you did just enter this relationship with Harry and me, that’s hardly conventional—’

‘You two are different,’ Lucius stated, and was about to say something, but then the couple by the bar came over, and the blond fell silent, staring at them for a second, then deciding to greet them. ‘Thank you for the drinks.’

‘No, thank you for getting rid of that monstrous arse!’ one of the men sat down next to Harry, the other to the chair on the side of the table. ‘We tried everything from polite declining to outright insults and he wouldn’t leave. We’ve been together for half a year now, you see, and he comes up thinking he could just take my man from me—’

‘Like that would ever happen, Mark,’ the other said next to Harry, now suddenly jumping to introductions. ‘I’m Dwight, and this is Mark, by the way. I don’t think we’ve seen you three before here?’

‘Lucius,’ to Harry’s surprise, the Pureblood was the first who went along with the introduction. ‘And this is Severus and the one sitting next to you is Harry.’

‘Hi,’ Harry said, while Sev didn’t even bother.

‘And now I have to ask,’ Mark spoke up, leaning closer. ‘Are you guys together-together? All three of you?’

‘We are,’ Lucius now said. ‘Is that a problem?’

‘God no! In fact, Dwight and I could use some company who wouldn’t hit on us, like our single friends constantly do,’ now Mark said. ‘I mean they probably don’t mean it, but it’s annoying after a while.’

Harry wasn’t entirely sure what the two Muggles wanted from them.

‘Yes, it is,’ however, the way Dwight said that, it seemed like at least they weren’t into experimenting, and that was kind of a relief. Harry didn’t even explicitly think of this before, but he only liked to share his bed with Sev and Luc. Even if that was somewhat strange in some people’s eyes.

‘So I tell you what. Straights have football and cars to bond over, why don’t you guys have a fancy dinner with us and a couple of friends next weekend?’

‘Yes! Instead of sports and horsepower, we have quality wine, good food and coming out stories so bad it will make you die laughing.’

Severus was now thinking no, no way in hell, it was written all over his face, but Harry wasn’t this opposed to the thing. Mark and Dwight kind of reminded him of Fred and George, not taking themselves too seriously, just not being twins (obviously) and having sex instead, but still so familiar with each other that they were finishing each other's sentences.

‘Good food and quality wine, you say,’ however, Lucius seemed to perk up. ‘I must say, I’m not beyond taking them as bribes to come.’

‘Oh, you bet! Mark is the chef at the restaurant close, the Food Palace, I don’t know if you’ve—’

‘Nooo!’ now Lucius didn’t even have to try to be pleasant. It _was_ their favorite restaurant, after all, and his polite questions turned to honest interest. ‘We just ate there today, it’s our favorite place!’

‘You really did?’ Mark grinned. ‘And what did you order? How was the appetizer? Which menu is your favorite? Tell me everything!’

Like two hours later, when the blond finally finished conversing with Mark, they were _promised_ to come to dinner next Saturday, and getting to know the rest of the “gang” too, to which Severus looked uncomfortable, but then Lucius noted, when they already Apparated home.

‘You were against dancing first too, Severus. And despite them being Muggles, they are quite pleasant.’

‘Yes, I noticed you think so, hanging on Mark’s every word just because he can chop some ingredients and—’

‘Severusss,’ Lucius now turned, hissing, and bringing the Potion Master to his arms. ‘Are you jealous now? You know, in my opinion, you’re the best one to chop anything, right?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Snape muttered, but he went so bright red, Harry had to suppress a laugh now, seeing them.

‘I kid you not, Sev,’ Lucius now trailed kisses down on the neck of Severus. ‘And notice, the first person they wanted to pick up tonight even if we were together, was you. You’re irresistible, even for Muggles…’

‘Only for a dumb fuck, who just wanted a blow job in the toilet, probably,’ Sev muttered, but his eyes were closed, and he made no indication he wanted the blond to stop.

‘Do I qualify as such a person? Or Harry?’ Lucius now argued, but then abandoned the topic. ‘Well, it’s time we get you out of your Muggle disguise and _show you_ , anyway. Harry and I could take you at once, tonight, you know.’

‘I’m fine as a bottom,’ Harry stated, because he rarely wasn’t, and besides. Harry would probably be too overwhelmed to properly fuck Sev of all people anyway.

‘And it sounds more painful than pleasurable, Luc,’ Severus added. ‘And all uncomfortable angles for all of us.’

‘We have magic, lest you forget,’ Lucius now grinned. ‘We could use a levitation spell and I could charm you a bit looser _there_ with an enlarging charm, just for tonight.’

‘It’s okay, I’ll just watch instead,’ Harry said, but at the same time Sev spoke up too.

‘Do it.’

‘Are you sure?’ Harry now found himself blurting out, really surprised, but Lucius gave a smile to him.

‘Of course, he is. Imagine, he can feel both of us moving in him, and you can feel my cock moving against yours…’

‘I’m already convinced, there is no need to sell it any further,’ Severus now impatiently muttered. ‘Just get on with it, already!’

‘Demanding, are we,’ Luc just chuckled to Snape’s ear, fingers opening the Potion Master’s trousers without magic. ‘But maybe it will teach you to come out of your lab more often to see us, after all, Sev.’

By this time, the always so composed and witty Severus was incomprehensibly muttering to the kisses he was sharing with Harry, trapped between the two of them, while Lucius managed to get him fully naked already.

‘You first, Harry,’ Lucius said when he was now finished with stretching Sev’s hole with his fingers, but not using magic yet.

It was an intense feeling to say at least, entering something so hot and tight, and seeing Severus squirm under Harry, so he almost lost it, but he didn’t. He was trained to last more now, given that he spent time with two gorgeous wizards like Luc and Sev in his bed, and got used to them being so hot - but this was even more so.

‘Then, I’ll just cast a charm, and we can alternate moving,’ Lucius said, making Severus moan when he did just what he said, but not only him. Harry found himself inwardly cursing, as he felt Severus’s magic going wild just by what Lucius was doing, while Harry also felt Lucius cock next to his own, making him moan as well.

‘Next time… I want to be between you two,’ he told Sev and Luc in their minds, making Severus state.

‘Just move already! I won’t last you saying things like that, for Circe’s sake!’

‘Like this?’ Lucius now pulled out, just to slam back once again deep.

‘Merlin, YES!’ Severus thought, although there was no way he could have said that out loud, now a hot mess between them.

Then, Harry found himself moving too, and it was unbelievable, really, but then Lucius connected all of their senses with their link, and it was unbearable for too long. They all came together though and ended up back on the bed soon, Severus now laughing.

‘Can say, I’m most glad I’m a wizard. Being capable to do this _anytime_ is a perk I want to abuse.’

‘And you’re dating two other wizards, Severus. Dwight might have been eyeing you, but don’t forget, he’s still a Muggle.’

‘Oh, so who’s jealous now?’ the Potion Master smirked, making Harry sigh.

‘Me. I wasn’t hit on by anyone the whole night.’

‘Merlin, we’d probably had to castrate anyone, dared they do that,’ Lucius now growled.

‘Yes. And I might have put a Confondus charm on some people who were checking you out on the dance floor, Harry,’ Severus now said. ‘You were dancing like liquid sex, and I fought it was better for everyone that way—’

Harry shot a ‘you must be kidding me?’ look at Sev, but Severus didn't revoke it.

‘Salazar, you didn’t even notice?’ Lucius now laughed. ‘I think it was more than a couple of people, more like half the dance floor Sev put off—’

‘Now you’re just saying this to make me feel better,’ surely, Harry would have noticed that big of a charm, especially in a place which was filled with Muggles, where he’d be surprised to sense magic…

‘I guess your magic was too busy with Lucius rubbing himself to you to notice,’ Sev now said, smirking, and most probably reading Harry’s thoughts, from his expression.

‘Or, Harry was too busy when he was rubbing himself on me,’ the Pureblood now claimed. ‘That was fun too.’

‘Jesus, just forget it,’ it was now Harry’s turn to blush deeply, trying to change the topic. ‘I mean—’

‘Not even an Obliviate could make me forget,’ Lucius was now teasing him, seeing his discomfort, and doing it all the more because of it. ‘The Saviour of the Wizarding World, the Chosen One, the famous Harry Potter, wanting me so needily he forgot everything and everybody else—’

‘Now _I’m_ jelous,’ Severus said, warningly.

‘Okay, forgetting everyone else but us,’ the blond now said, placing a small kiss on Sev’s mouth. ‘In our mercy, two ex-criminals…’

‘Merlin, if we didn’t just have sex, we’d have to do it again now,’ the Potion Master sighed.

‘Maybe in the morning, then,’ Lucius laughed, and just as he spelled them and the covers clean, tucking them in with the same motion, Sev was already asleep next to him his expression content.

‘He must be exhausted,’ Harry noted, moving closer to the sleeping Severus’s side. ‘I mean—’

He almost told Lucius how Sev probably didn’t sleep eight hours straight ever since the blond tried to kill himself, but that wouldn’t do any good now, just blaming Lucius, making him feel probably even more detached from them than he probably already felt.

‘Yes, I noticed, he was beating himself about what I’ve done,’ the Pureblood said, his eyes daring Harry to revoke that.

‘I was going to say after what we’ve just done to him,’ Harry said, making Luc shake his head.

‘No you weren’t.’

Damn you, Harry Potter, ruining everything, when it was just about to get better…

‘Luc, this isn’t—’

‘Well, I’m done for, now,’ Lucius said, and before Harry could panic, he explained. ‘Both you and Sev are so adorable I can’t think of leaving you even if it was for the best—’

‘You don’t have to say that,’ Harry felt like the blond was just telling this so Harry wouldn’t worry about him much, even though nothing has changed.

‘I am terrified, though,’ Lucius quietly added. ‘Like what happens if I’m unable to achieve my Animagus form? Or I’m able, but the Ministry comes here, house-searching, and they find me with magic, even if it’s not likely, but it can happen… then I’d be given that potion… even death is better than people seeing me like that. My own son probably seeing me like that, you and Severus too—’

‘I won’t let them, and Severus either. We’d fight the Aurors who would come to take you away any day, every day.’

‘They are highly skilled—’

‘Sev and I have the same magic. Hypothetically, I could surrender all my magic to him, and he’s one of the most skilled duelists in the world…’

‘And then you’d go to prison, instead of me,’ Lucius frowned.

‘Maybe I would. And wait and see how the public feels Kingsley imprisoning Harry Potter,’ Harry now found himself saying. ‘But it won’t come to that, I promise.’

‘You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,’ the Pureblood noted, but Harry now just smirked.

Nonverbal Parseltongue, he should try it on Lucius. After all, he was speaking that way before to the blond accidentally, right?

_Go to sleep, you beautiful snake, and dream about pleasant things, will you?_

And, he only thought that, but Lucius was now fast asleep, his breathing already evened out, when one moment he was staring at Harry with a painful expression, and the next - sleeping.

Harry went to sleep too, thinking it was easy. He did it once, he’d only have to do something similar once again, but by morning, whatever he tried to command objects to move or do anything with nonverbal Parseltongue, it didn’t work, so he began to think it was just a dream or coincidence…

Until he was standing next to Sally’s vivarium, about to give him some food, when Severus came around, and although he wasn’t wearing a cloak, Harry was sure it would billow after him, Severus was in such a hurry to go back to... work. Making Harry now jealous of Potions, which was crazy.

 _‘I wish he’d just take this Monday off,’_ Harry now just told Sally, without speaking out loud, and really, just mentioning it, half-heartedly, but then Severus suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning back to him.

‘Did you say anything?’

‘I was just talking to Sally,’ Harry smiled. Sev probably sensed the magic flowing between them.

‘Alright. I guess I won’t work today,’ turning away from the stairs leading up to his lab, making Harry gape at him. ‘What? I spent Saturday in the lab anyway, and I just have the feeling I’d better be with Luc and you instead.’

Harry now felt uncomfortable.

 _’Sally, what did I just do?’_ Harry asked, not certain it was him, but it sure as hell seemed like it…

 _’They are your snakes, what did you expect?’_ the snake answered. _’And even if they weren’t. Nonverbal Parseltongue is for making people do what you want.’_

That wasn’t mentioned in any book about the language, of fucking course. Harry felt panicked. The last thing he wanted was a type of magic that could make people suggestible to anything he said.

Nonverbal Parseltongue was real. Yet he didn’t want to do anything with it. And how was he supposed to tell Luc and Sev now that he used it on both of them?


	8. Chapter 22 - Why Can't You Just Let Us Bee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for the late update, everyone, I had to rewrite this chapter if not at least a hundred trillion times, then not even once. Not even kidding!!! But I still am alive (barely)! XD
> 
> That said, I still very much appreciate your lovely support and comments and kudos (or maybe even more), so you won't completely forget about this story, right? XOXO

The one month was over and even though Harry and Severus were worried as hell, waiting for Lucius to return and announce he did the Animagus transformation, it was really for naught.

Lucius did it alone at first, in the Forest (although McGonagall spelled a couple of protection charms as well as a Disillusionment charm on Lucius so he wouldn’t be attacked/eaten as a bee by other creatures), then he showed Sev and Harry too, on the condition that they weren’t looking when the transformation was going on.

So now, even if the Ministry came looking, Lucius could just transform himself, and otherwise, he was safe to live them, and even to socialize: as long it was their newfound circle of Muggle friends and not somewhere public where any wizard or witch would wander to recognize them.

It was a relief, and Harry and Severus thought about a reward for Luc, but now that they got home, after graciously accepting McGonagall’s invitation for a celebratory lunch, Sev had his doubts, whether or not they should do it.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked Harry, for what it was like the thousands of times.

‘Lucius will love this,’ Harry said, hoping to sound confident. ‘And I must admit, I’m curious.’

‘I don’t get how this is supposed to turn Luc on any more than usual or why-’

‘No, but I have a feeling it’s going to be great,’ Harry decided, and since Severus only tried to talk him out of it, Harry got enough of that, and sank is hand in Sev’s hair, kissing the man, and also pulling out a single hair, putting it in the potion already ready for use, in his hands, before drinking it.

Well, it was better tasting than he remembered, or it mattered that it was a Severus-Polyjuice instead of a Goyle-one, or maybe that it was done by Sev, and not a second-year Hermione, but as Harry was thinking these thoughts, he grew taller and changed to Severus, making the real Sev just stare at him.

‘The things you two make me do,’ he just said, now pulling Harry by the hand. ‘But if we do it, we better do it right. I’ll give you some clothing. And no peaking while you change!’

Harry just smiled at that, like he hasn’t seen everything Severus had a thousand times, but as he caught himself a mirror, smiling like that, it was weird. Smirking, Harry, that’s more like Sev.

‘God, I look even more repulsive than I originally thought,’ Sev said, when Harry changed to his clothes, and Harry just had enough.

‘You’re so handsome you don’t even realize, for the sake of Salazar, so stop this at once!’ he told Sev, and when the Potion Master just frowned, Harry stepped up and kissed him, which only made Severus push him away.

‘Refrain from doing that, while you’re me, would you? It’s messing with my head, and not in a good way!’

Harry was about to argue, but then Lucius came after them, popping his head in the room.

‘I’ve been looking for you-’

And then, he saw that there were now two identical Severuses staring back at him and despite being a Malfoy, he lost his ability to speak for just a beat.

‘What is this?’ he then came closer, examining them, as if he was trying to figure what happened and maybe now guessing which one was the real Sev. But by then, Harry was wearing the clothes Severus lent him and decided to give Luc a run for his money.

‘Our present to you. Because _someone_ thought it was a great idea,’ Harry now said in a tone that couldn’t have been better of a Severus impersonation, making the real Sev stare at him too, not just Luc.

Who was now grinning, looking at the real Severus.

‘Really? And am I allowed to take you both to bed real soon too, as a part of this present?’

Severus then shot a look at Harry, and Harry really got an ominous feeling about it, when Severus now stepped closer to Lucius.

‘I don’t know, Luc,’ he said to the blond, putting his hands around the blond's neck. ‘Do you think you deserve us?’

It took half a second now for Harry to understand what was so strange, but… it was a brilliant idea, really. 

Harry started playing Severus, thinking Lucius’s present should be two Sevs with him, so Harry tried to act the part, but now Severus was playing Harry, and given that they both looked the same, maybe they could switch roles too, just to have fun.

So while the real Severus was now roleplaying Harry, Harry got to roleplay Severus, stepping up to Lucius’s gorgeous arse, embracing the blond from behind. It was different not just because Harry was now supposed to play Sev, but because he finally wasn’t a complete midget compared to the blond. 

He used that, kissing into the blond’s neck from behind, while Severus ran his fingers along Lucius’s front, making the Pureblood just moan between the two of them.

‘Merlin, we won’t reach the bedroom at this pace,’ Lucius now said. ‘And I really want to. I want to savor this present the longest I can, in fact.’

‘Lead the way then,’ Severus said, and Harry didn’t at all think he was _that_ eager as Snape played him, but Lucius now just turned to him as if asking.

‘You have 12 hours, Luc,’ he said, in a vain attempt of sounding professional, and like Sev.

But then, Lucius chuckled and addressed Harry in their heads as they were moving their scene to the bedroom.

’Best present ever, Harry, but are you okay with this?’ the blond asked, and he clearly knew which was the fake Sev from two sentences. Or, was it the way they touched Luc that made the blond realize they were trying to pretend?

‘I reckoned you’d love it,’ Harry just told Lucius, a bit disappointed that their cover was blown. ‘And that if we have some leftover premium-quality Polyjuice it would be a waste not to use it for something.’

‘I was asking how you chose yourself to be excluded.’

‘Oh, I’m perfectly fine with that if it’s what makes you happy,’ Harry stated, but then Luc just sharply told him.

‘For the record, if there were two Harrys, I’d be just as turned on.’

Harry knew that wasn’t true, but they ceased to converse because it would have shown, and Sev would have felt excluded, so they had hot sex in three, and then they laid there, spent, for minutes, before Severus suggested.

‘Maybe-’

‘Maybe now you two could make out,’ Lucius now stirred.

Severus froze, and Harry just decided to announce.

‘Sev finds kissing me like this disturbing.’

‘But _Severuuus,’_ Lucius now just said, turning to the real one, kissing him. ‘Why not?’

‘What, like you would just go ahead and essentially make out with yourself!’ Severus snorted, making Luc smile.

‘Yes, I would!’ Lucius laughed, already grinning wildly just thinking about it.

‘Oh, I forgot who I was talking to,’ Severus just said, now teasing Luc. ‘But _normal_ people who don’t have the classic Malfoy signature looks, don’t necessarily prefer to.’

‘Harry, back me up on this,’ Lucius now just turned to him, making Harry wonder.

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Harry said. On one hand, he saw how Lucius with his Veela-like looks would enjoy to make out with a copy of himself, but if he thought about doubling himself, he’d be probably reluctant to try, just as Severus was.

‘Please, please, Sev,’ Lucius was now leaving a trail of kisses on his wake starting from Sev’s mouth and proceeding down on his neck. ‘You said it’s a present for me, and I’d love to see you two having sex like this.’

‘But I’m looking-’

‘So damn sexy doing anything, really,’ Lucius now inserted. ‘So why don’t you just let Harry here use his skilled mouth on you and see how delectable you look when you do that?’

Harry did look at Sev now too, questioningly, who just muttered.

‘Fine, but the next time we’re doing something like this, it’s going to be one of you two,’ he warned, now kissing Harry with quite a force, and moaned when Harry responded likewise.

And Harry thought Luc was right and Sev did give the best blow-jobs ever, and if anything, he should get to enjoy that himself too, at least this once, and Harry was now making his way down to it.

Luc didn’t join them as usual, instead sat on the edge of the bed, and was eyeing them without as much as a blink, as if he wanted to remember this scene well for later use, doing a recording of it in his head, which he probably was.

Meanwhile, Harry cheekily kept eye contact with Sev, even when he engulfed most of Severus’s prick now growing only harder and heavier on his tongue, making Harry pull back just to then push his head back again, this time taking Sev deeper, making the wizard moan.

‘Faster!’

And it wasn’t as if Harry needed the encouragement, really, but he obeyed nevertheless the same: making Severus’s grip on his now longer hair stronger, and his hips bucking into Harry’s mouth and making Harry feel close too, even if he wasn’t the on one the receiving end.

But then, almost before Sev could release into Harry’s mouth, Lucius’s voice interrupted them.

‘Maybe you could let Harry top you, Sev? You did say it was my present, and if I can just ask for anything I want, then…’ he didn’t finish his sentence, just let it go suggestively.

Harry never did that before, topping Severus alone, and truth to be told, he not only liked being a bottom but really _preferred_ it. Still, it wasn’t like he wouldn’t be able to cum having Sev now, so if the other wizard was fine with that, then he was as well.

‘I realize what you’re doing,’ Severus now told Luc, frowning when Harry let go of his member, licking his mouth. ‘You want to prove to me that I’m good to have both for a head and a fuck.’

‘You are, just wait and see,’ Lucius now smiled the evilest smile. ‘And it’s also about how I get to see two Sevs doing it.’

‘It’s not like I have a problem with my skills. I have a problem with my looks,’ Severus told the blond, but Harry then decided to stop hesitating about being a top, if clearly both Luc and Sev could benefit from it, and just pushed himself to be more in control.

‘Then, I’ll better have you while facing me, Mr. Snape,’ he warned Sev, gently nicking his teeth to Sev’s earlobe now, pushing the other wizard back to the covers, and expecting a bit of a reluctance on the Potion Master’s part, but it never came.

Instead, Sev now seemed too far gone to care, and if anything, he welcomed Harry’s touch, making Harry more confident about what he was doing, which coincidentally, made Severus seem even more responsive, making Lucius note now, to Harry, in their mind link.

‘Give him a taste of his own medicine, Harry. It’s insane to think he doesn’t realize what kind of effect he has on others.’

Harry though how Luc was the one to talk when the blond might have been satisfied with his looks, but still felt like he should leave Harry and Sev behind, thinking he wasn’t that essential to their relationship, but he couldn’t communicate well at that point.

So rather, he just let go, working Severus under him, thinking how sexy he was now slowly coming completely apart under him.

Lucius was right, and it shouldn’t be allowed for Sev to be so hot on both the receiving and the giving end, but he was, even if for very different reasons. 

The whole situation ended up mindblowing because Sev seemed to enjoy it just as much as Luc and Harry would have, having Sev on them.

And when Harry has lost most of his control too, taking Sev now hard, Luc had palmed himself as well, settling into a rhythm with them.

‘You to come for me now, Mr. Snape,’ Harry then said, tightening his grip on the front of Sev, while pushing even deeper into Sev, angling his hips too, making Severus cum hard, keying all their orgasms together in their minds as well, just as always.

But it was anything but what they always had. When it was over, Lucius did attack Sev for a kiss, which to the Potion Master muttered, sighing now.

‘I must be something else, cumming to a fake me…’

‘Well, Harry and I certainly cannot blame you for that,’ Lucius just stated. ‘We are in this because we both get really turned on by you, after all.’

It was true, and Severus never really seemed to accept that, not really. Maybe because of something else, maybe because how James Potter and his gang made him believe he didn’t amount to anything close sexy, and Harry hated that, truly.

‘Stop it,’ Severus now said, going red, hiding his face in Harry’s neck, snuggling to him close. ‘There’s only so much I can take in one day.’

‘But, I love talking about how sexy you are,’ Lucius teased, now moving closer too, eventually making all three of them cuddling each other now. ‘And I find you hard and demanding when you fuck me, but also cute and so innocent when I’m fucking you.’

To that, Severus only chuckled now, laughing the whole topic away, before stating.

‘I’ll admit, I have my moments, it seems, but I still cannot wait for Harry to be back to himself. This was supposed to be a present to you, Luc, not a way to make me embarrassed instead.’

‘What if I told you it was the best present accomplishing both?’ Lucius said, gently pushing Sev’s hair away from his eyes now, laying a kiss on the Potion Master’s nose. ‘I mean… you hopefully felt _firsthand_ how good it feels to be with you.’

‘Lucius, stop,’ Harry never really would have told the blond what to do, but he thought that just this once, Sev already got the message, and all Luc did was just rubbing it in, so he had to.

‘Oh, make me, like Severus would,’ Lucius downright purred, making Harry note.

‘And here I thought we were done having sex for the day.’

‘Are we _ever_ done, really?’ the Pureblood just said, but then just laughed. ‘I have to say, there has to be a repeat of this, not just when I achieve an Animagus form, once in a lifetime, but maybe also… for Christmas, all my birthdays and maybe the weekends and some weekdays too.’

‘We are not using Polyjuice every day!’ now Severus argued, finally reverting back to himself. ‘Or rather, if you’re so eager, Luc, I will turn to you then next.’

‘Can’t wait,’ Lucius, however only smugly smiled.

‘We aren’t even 3 in this relationship, are we,’ Severus then noted, kissing the wizard. ‘It’s you, and your ego, and then Harry and me.’

Lucius only chuckled and kissed him back, but then turned strangely silent, making Harry only think in passing how he’d love to know sometimes what the blond was thinking when he felt something change, and suddenly, there was a terrible noise alerting them as well.

‘It’s the wards! Change now, Luc!’

And in just a blink that took Lucius to turn to a bee, and Harry and Severus to magic on some clothing to themselves, Kingsley showed up, with quite a few many Aurors too.

‘Mr. Snape and… Mr. Potter?’ Kingsley now asked, which made Harry realize he still was Severus to outsiders and made him blush.

‘Yes. We weren’t expecting any visitors, Minister,’ however palpable Harry’s discomfort was, he’d be damned if he let it show any further. Kingsley did examine him with magic to see if he really was Harry, and only then said.

‘Yes, I imagine you weren’t. But actually, I was to arrest Lucius Malfoy today at Hogwarts, and he has disappeared. We already searched the grounds, and he’s nowhere.’

‘So you thought to search Harry Potter’s private property next,’ Sev mentioned, his eyes full of anger, but he otherwise he was composed. ‘Curious.’

‘It really isn’t,’ Kingsley noted. ‘Given that Mr. Potter seemed adamant to free Mr. Malfoy no matter what, and he clearly has a bad taste in wizards.’

Now Severus colored, but it wasn’t enough to provoke him any further, luckily.

‘And don’t worry, Mr. Snape. Your property, Spinner’s End is next,’ the Minister went on. ‘In fact, we’d be grateful if you chose to willingly open the wards up before we arrived, rather then us breaking through them with force, potentially damaging them.’

‘It didn’t stop you from breaking in here,’ Harry noted, making Kingsley say.

‘Well, we couldn’t let you signal Mr. Malfoy to leave before we got here, you must understand.’

In fact, it sounded as if Kingsley was now monitoring them for spells too, wanting to catch them sending a Patronus or any warning to Luc, so he could trace that back to the blond. It was luck that they didn’t need to warn Luc, given that he was in the same room as them, just as a bee now.

Still, it took hours before the Aurors finished with the raid, and not only that, but they also collected a pile of things.

‘My-my,’ Kingsley said, shaking his head, looking at the box the Aurors handed to him. ‘Dark artifacts, dark ingredients and potions and century-old books on Dark magic. I’m afraid I’ll have to liberate these items of your possession, Mr. Potter.’

The dark artifacts were the Black’s, unnoticed leftovers really, what Harry couldn’t really care less about, but Sev’s ingredients and potions, and Luc’s books that he gave to Harry were a different matter. He almost said something really rude to Kingsley, when now Sev placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder, warning him not to do anything.

‘The potions and the ingredients are actually mine, Minister,’ Severus said. ‘I do believe there is a fee I’d have to pay as a penalty for owning them, but I will. And I’d rather just have your company over at Spinner’s End now, getting through this whole ordeal as quickly as we can, if you don’t mind.’

‘Lead the way,’ was all that Kingsley said, and then, the Aurors were following the other two, essentially leaving Harry and Luc alone now, but it still took time until Lucius risked to turn back.

‘Well, at least they clearly don’t have a scanning spell or artifact for Animagi,’ he said, sighing.

‘I’m sorry about the books, Luc, I’ll get them back somehow,’ Harry apologized, thinking he should have transformed them into jewelry as Narcissa did when he wasn’t actively reading one, now costing them to be taken away as well, just because he wasn’t careful enough.

‘Safe to say neither of us anticipated them this early, there is still half a week before they were supposed to collect me,’ Lucius just gave him a dismissing gesture. ‘And we can always pay some people off to get everything back, don’t worry.’

‘It makes you consider, doesn’t it?’ Sev only got back hours later, looking tired, addressing them both, to which they gave a questioning look to Potion Master, which made the wizard explain. ‘Cursing Kingsley is a lot more tempting after today for me. I’m sure I could come up with a spell they couldn’t trace back to me-’

‘Severus, weren’t you the one who suggested we shouldn’t do anything radical?’ Lucius tried to reason with him. ‘And-’

‘That was before they took away my only Prince possession just now, too,’ the Potion Master frowned. ‘It’s just a useless old wand to anyone else, but it used to belong to my grandfather, and to his father before, and it was the only thing my mother took when she left to marry a Muggle, so it has sentimental value. Now Kingsley comes to demand I hand it over, saying it was the Death Eaters who took wands away from others, and he has to see if it’s truly mine? Just as well as he took my potion-research notes, claiming they were dangerous.’

‘They want it for perfecting their potion,’ Harry now paled, realizing.

‘Yes, but they won’t be able to read any of it, for now, at least, because they are under a protecting enchantment, and that will keep them occupied for a couple of days, I imagine,’ Sev sighed. ‘But…’

‘But it makes you _consider,’_ Harry now said, understanding. Not only he didn’t want the Ministry to have Sev’s notes, but also, he wanted back their personal possessions too. 

Plus, the thought that Kingsley can easily come and raid their homes anytime, putting them through the humiliation of ransacking their home just as well as their private lives again, didn’t sit right with Harry. 

Severus was clearly upset, and Lucius surely was better hiding it, but knowing him, he’d think it was his fault that they came to raid them in the first place.

‘Why don’t we use the time we have left of the Polyjuice, and take a hot-hot bath together, not letting the Ministry ruin this day completely instead?’ Lucius suggested, taking a step closer to Harry, still very much naked, probably as a way to distract them both. ‘Then, we can postpone any life-altering decision for tomorrow, when we’re a bit calmer.’

‘Not if Kingsley decides to raid us again tomorrow as well,’ Severus frowned, earning a sharp look from the blond.

‘One more word like that, Sev, and I’ll have to punish you.’

‘What would that punishment exactly entail, Luc?’

And, Harry could let them get back to their lives, just like that, not agonizing over Kingsley, instead celebrating that Luc still did the transformation and now was relatively safe, or, he could mention that he might have some powers that could help them, even if he only used it to control the Death Marks, not outright people.

But he didn’t have the heart to talk about it then and still was pretty afraid to admit to Sev and Luc about his newfound powers, even if he didn’t use it on them to manipulate either for anything unforgivable. 

Just having such powers would probably make both question if Harry will ever use it on them again if they knew, and that would mean they could never really trust him after Harry told them. So he wanted just to forget about them, and up until it was dark, and they were supposed to sleep, he did a hell of a good job doing that.

But then, sleep never claimed him, and he got a really bad headache too, arguing with himself, whether he should use these powers on Kingsley. It would be so easy, wouldn’t it?

He first could just order the man to secretly give back all their taken belongings back, not telling anyone. 

If that worked, Harry could risk more, and make Kingsley get rid of the potion the Ministry was brewing, deeming it impossible to perfect or something, and then… 

Harry could practically order him to do anything, so he could strike a deal with Kingsley, and help them catch the rogue Death Eaters using a Dark Mark, in return to Lucius’s freedom, solving all their problems, but.

Harry knew manipulating the Minister of Magic to that extent would make people notice. 

If anything, Sev and Luc would notice, and Harry would either have to tell them, knowing full well that Sev would be angry because he didn’t consult them, and Luc would feel self-resentment that he drove Harry to do something like this or… he’d have to curse the other two not to notice.

And things were at a halt at that, in his mind, because it was the worst. The reason why Harry wasn’t cultivating and practicing his new skill just as he would have was it any other type of magic was because of that fear.

That if he had the power to sway people, even just a little, and things got tough, he’d be tempted to use it on Sev or Luc or both. And if he did that once, what would stop him to repeat it.

They’d have a fight, and Harry would just make them forget. Or Luc would try to end his life again - no problem, because Harry can command him not to, maybe to even change and be happy instead. Or Severus would be annoying him with always worrying about him too much - Harry would change that, and now Sev wouldn’t even give a crap.

Which ultimately meant he’d have the power to change the people he was in love with to some other people. And the reason for his growing headache was that he didn’t even want to risk that. So, he couldn’t use it, surely, even if it was a solution to every wrong.

‘Payback is in order,’ Lucius now muttered to him, pulling Harry close, almost scaring him. ‘When I couldn’t sleep, you made me learn the Patronus charm. So when you can’t sleep-’

‘Yes?’ Harry asked, smiling, no matter how dark circle of thoughts the blond just dragged him out of.

‘Well, I must admit, I feel too old for getting up at this time of a night now to teach any great spells in return, but,’ Lucius said, giving him a lazy kiss. ‘You could tell me what’s wrong, without the innuendo.’

Harry just thought back to the night he taught Luc the spell, and how he listened to the Pureblood, but not really, and how that almost cost Lucius’s life and had he been a true Gryffindor ever, he would have no difficulty crying on Lucius’s shoulder, telling him everything now that he was given a chance, but he wasn’t.

Instead, he thought if it would be a really bad thing to use his powers on the blond if it was to make sure he won’t try the same thing ever again.

‘Technically, you’re awake too,’ Harry noted instead, trying to divert himself from that way of thinking. 

If he ever tinkered with Luc or Sev’s thoughts, surely he couldn’t be in a relationship with them any further. It would be immoral and disturbing. But, if there was no other way for some reason to save Luc from depression, he’d still do it in a heartbeat.

‘You’re right. Should we have sex instead?’ Lucius was now much more on to the point with kissing. ‘To see how deep Severus’s sleep is, and what does it take for him to wake up?’

Harry chuckled, not like Lucius was serious, at least he didn’t think so… But it made him think how he loved when Luc did that, lifting both Harry’s and Sev’s mood so many times and that consequently led Harry to remember how he and Luc both ended up with Sev, instead just one of them.

Harry back then was honest with Lucius, asking his advice, trusting him. Now that Luc was part of the same relationship, that was lost, but maybe it shouldn’t have been.

Maybe it would help Luc think better of himself too, if Harry confided in him again, especially if the matter was important. 

However, given that this new power could have been best used on Kingsley to set Lucius free since it was about the blond, wasn’t Lucius too close to the issue if Harry was to ask him what to do? Shouldn’t he turn to Sev alone in secret now, instead?

Or, they could discuss it in three, of course, but then again… first, they probably wouldn’t even believe him, and then, Severus would be furious, or angry or upset, and Lucius wouldn’t want to hear about Harry saving him not in a million years, would he?

‘Harry, you think too much,’ Lucius now muttered, pulling away from the kiss, but instead of letting Harry go, he now pulled Harry back to a hug. ‘If there is anything bothering you, you should just tell me.’

 _Trust goes both ways,_ Harry found himself thinking, no matter how he swore he wouldn’t be affected by Lucius’s suicide attempt, now it still got him thinking that in a way, Lucius could have talked to them too, then.

Funny how once Harry couldn’t care less about Lucius’s safety, and now he was angry at the blond for risking it.

‘Maybe we should talk later. Tomorrow,’ Harry muttered then, fighting off a yawn. He probably still won’t be able to sleep for a while, but Luc just as much now admitted to him he was tired, so at least he shouldn’t keep the other wizard up too.

‘Oh no, now I’m definitely unable to sleep like this,’ the blond gave him a look. ‘So talk.’

 _I’m worried about you._ Harry thought, but he also knew there is no way that sentence could achieve anything from Luc’s side than self-blame, which was the opposite of Harry’s intentions with it, so he instead gave it a different spin.

‘Sometimes I miss being your rival, Luc.’

That made the blond smile, and say.

‘Who said we aren’t anymore? This could be all very well be part of my genius plan to get Sev from you, Mr. Potter, mark my words.’

‘But I’m younger,’ Harry now just said, receiving the exact same answer just before he anticipated to, so he could now provoke Lucius a little further. ‘And I do have this bond to Sev you don’t.’

‘But I’m wiser. And some connections aren’t destined, maybe, but we can still work on it, and have better than you and Sev, thinking you’re safe with your bond.’

There, Harry just made Luc not only admit those things to himself but also come up with them on his own, without as much as trying to say a good word on Luc’s part, so he just smirked.

‘Indeed, isn’t that dangerous, too,’ he told the blond, who by now perfectly well realized that it was Harry’s intent all along, but didn’t mention it, instead he noted.

‘So, is your evil plot to keep me from my beauty-sleep now, scaring the life out of Severus in the morning, or do you actually have something to say, you little prat?’

And that didn’t look actually really an irresistible offer to anyone else, but to Harry it was.

‘I… figured nonverbal Parseltongue, Luc,’ he confessed to it quickly, before the urge to admit was gone. ‘And it’s dangerous, even though it would solve all our problems, so I guess I’m… just trying to make sense of it.’

‘I’ve told you,’ now Harry almost jumped when Sev spoke, spelling some low-key lights on, very much awake too, as he had been all along. ‘Harry let go of the idea too easily too fast, I just _felt_ something was up.’

‘Yes, yes, you might have been right, but who was it that Harry turned to when in need? Me,’ Lucius noted, and Harry couldn’t believe it.

These two set him terribly up, and now were bickering about who should take credit for it. And to think Harry thought to comfort Lucius in the beginning of the conversation! Now he just wanted to punch them both. Well, maybe not too strongly, just a little.

‘Well, good of you two to work together to bring me down, really,’ he told them, eventually making their argument come to a close. ‘But now I’m just tempted to go sleep on a couch, instead of here, with two terrible, terrible Slytherins…’

‘Oh come on, Harry,’ Lucius now just smirked. ‘You still didn’t get to restore that couch properly and you wouldn’t leave me. After all, you trust me best. Just ignore Sev-’

Fair to say, Luc was now probably hexed, and Sev was the one doing it, using this pause to speak.

‘No, Harry, but seriously. Dangerous how?’

And to that, both looked at him, making Harry sigh. Now that they weren’t killing each other, but looking at him expectantly, Harry, in the end, found himself telling them about everything.

After all, Luc was right, and no matter what bond, everyone had to work for their relationships. And it might have been the blond who Harry initially confided in, and what had brought all three of them together, but to sustain their trio, Harry now only saw one way to do it, and it was to be honest about this particular matter with both wizards.

Plus, although he wouldn’t admit, after what he had faced at Hogwarts, he shouldn’t be a weak now, yet he was, in a sense that he really didn’t know what to do anymore. At least, what to do, _alone_ , that is. Or maybe he could now afford to be weak exactly because he knew he had support?

It took patience from Sev and Luc to hear Harry out and Legilimens the memories to see it for themselves, especially to do so at so late at night, but now they knew and they didn’t even look worried.

Maybe it was just because they were excellent actors if they wanted to be, but their lack of concern made Harry feel better too.

‘There is an easy solution to this,’ Sev even said, looking at Harry, with a smirk in the corner of his lips. ‘Make Harry deal with Kingsley and the Ministry, then Obliviate the last year out of him if not three, and then we’d be free just to be a couple, Luc.’

‘So. NOT. Funny!’ Harry said, but it would have been better if he could keep straight face scolding Sev for it, probably.

‘Oh, I find it hilarious,’ Lucius, however, countered. ‘Given that, if I was to run away with one of you, I’d take Harry.’

‘Hold on, you just said today how sexy I was,’ Severus, however, wasn’t even worried, and with that, they were back to teasing once again. ‘In fact, you might have led me to believe that I’m hot...’

‘Well, it just shows you I’m that good.’

And, for the record, it was still good to hear any self-affirmation coming from both Sev and Luc, so Harry made no effort to try stopping them. In fact, he might have sunk to their level, not really realizing what he had done until it was too late.

‘I’d love you both better now if we finally could go to sleep,’ he mentioned, suddenly the tiredness now hitting him as a weight, now that he was no longer that worried, but to his comment, Lucius just burst out laughing.

‘Or else you order us to?’ he asked, and the way it was no more than a joke made Harry both irritated, and really fall in love with him even more. ‘I mean, you did just that...’

‘Or, you’ll force me to hang around with you two, instead of letting me work,’ Sev went on, but all three were so far gone having fun, he didn’t even try to pull a straight face saying that. ‘I mean surely, _that’s_ a real sacrifice…’

Well, not at all the fight and despair Harry counted on after admitting to his powers, in fact, he felt provoked if anything now.

‘Maybe I should order you two not to be such idiots,’ he said, and for a bit, he was worried he went too far, but it only made the other two laugh harder.

‘But you love us as idiots!’ Lucius then said, when he managed to speak then up first. ‘We’re closer to you like that.’

‘Ha. HA!’ Harry now said, secretly thinking how that sounded about right.

‘Don’t listen to him,’ Sev just noted. ‘He’s a blonde, so everyone takes pity on him.’

‘Oh, I can’t believe you actually went there, Sev!’ Lucius was now honestly surprised, but took it well, and changed tactics. ‘What did we come to now? Picking on the weakest?’

‘Weakest, right,’ Sev echoed on a tone dripping of sarcasm. ‘Wouldn’t it be two people in this relationship with you, we couldn’t even handle you!’

Which was ultimately a compliment, in a way, that Lucius was fishing for with his comment, so now he smiled wider.

‘Well, you certainly didn’t complain before, any time you were _”handling”_ me,’ he noted, using “handling” for a very different meaning now. ‘Or me, handling you.’

Severus now did groan just at that, before noting.

‘Harry’s right, we did have a too long of a day. First the stress of whether or not you make to transformation, Luc, then Minerva’s awkward questions about our relationship going into details I’d never thought she’d want to know, then Harry turning into me, then two Ministry raids while I had to refrain from cursing dear Kingsley to pieces…’

‘Then teaming up with Luc against me,’ Harry chimed in, it wasn’t as if he’d let that go.

‘Obliviate seems right, he did grow too much on us,’ Lucius now mentioned to Sev to that, making Harry grin. ‘Maybe we could seduce him once again, though, he can _handle_ certain things well too, don’t you think?’

‘He certainly can handle a lot,’ Sev just bent forward to kiss Harry saying that, over Luc. ‘Maybe a little too much too, at times.’

Harry, who wasn’t ready for the topic to get serious again, or for a compliment yet warning at the same time like that, so he might have ended up looking fairly stupid when it got to him, dumbfounded now.

‘Now look what you’ve done,’ Luc, therefore, scolded the Potion Master for it. ‘You broke him!’

Harry decided it’s time to not argue that - instead, he thought they’d get better at sleeping soon if he was in the middle, so he climbed over the blond now to get there, not even using a spell to do it, making Lucius moan.

‘Harry, should you want me _so much_ , just warn me first!’

But, by then, Harry settled in between them, pulling the covers up, maybe pulling it from the other two too, because the next thing he knew was that Sev made the room dark again and that he was sort of attacked from both sides for them.

Tickling and other, not so childish but still cheating methods aside, they did collectively fall asleep a couple of minutes later, making Harry note that couldn’t expect to always sleep in the middle, having both wizards so close, but he sure didn’t mind it for this particular night.


	9. Chapter 23 - The Road Not Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magical Theory parts I took from a lot of places, adding my own ideas to it. If you want to check my absolute favorites of those out they are Night Watch Series (books), Bartimaeus trilogy (books) and Point of View (Stargate episode). Not to mention more.
> 
> +There is a strong chance that the Mirror of Erised burned in the Room of Requirement, but here it lives. And McGonagall lent it to Luna to study it. + There is one character I borrowed from Cursed Child, so a minor(?) spoiler alert is due, I think.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for still reading! I love you all. Pamper me further with your feedback, please? This chapter is somewhat different I think. XOXO

Severus went to the Ministry and bribed some wizards for most of their stuff back because to break into the Ministry and allow Harry to manipulate Kingsley’s mind with nonverbal Parseltongue to get the rest back and to make the deal for Lucius’s freedom, they badly needed to research the topic first.

Not that there anything concrete on the nonverbal version, or otherwise Lucius would have known about it, he was a Parseltongue expert, after all, but then again, they also knew the nonverbal version was dark magic, and that it worked by not only controlling people to someone’s will but making them think it was _them_ who changed their minds, not an outside force.

So, Severus, who was the best in magical theory among them, after a couple of days said.

‘I think it’s safe to say that there are layers of magic and that Dark Magic resides on a deeper level, just as nonverbal spells.’

‘How do you mean?’ Harry asked, looking up from the book he was reading, and Lucius was doing the same on the other side of the table in the library.

‘I mean they are harder to learn and control,’ Severus stated. ‘But they don’t need words because they are also more of a manifestation of the caster’s will. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that they are more raw, in a sense a deeper layer of magic, if you will.’

‘Yes, that’s a well-known theory,’ Lucius nodded but then paused. ‘So… you’re actually suggesting that Parseltongue is even deeper since it’s connected to the caster’s blood.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m sorry?’ Harry asked because he was now suddenly left behind.

‘Parseltongue is hereditary, just as Legilimency,’ Sev now explained, which Harry knew already, but Severus went on. ‘Therefore, they are both types of blood magic, being a type of casting that is more ancient and also raw. And you, Harry, can do both.’

‘Not really,’ Harry said. ‘My Legilimency is almost non-existent, even if it got a bit better as of lately.’

‘Dumbledore wouldn’t have me teaching it to you if Potter couldn’t do it to some level, so you had to inherit it,’ Sev now said. ‘Not to mention, NP has to be closely related to that, because you implant the thought that your command is the victim’s idea, to the victim’s head.’

‘NP’ was how they called Harry’s new skill nowadays, but Harry still wished Severus wouldn’t call the victims 'victims', even if they were.

‘So, NP is a different type of magic,’ Harry then said, trying to distract his mind from those thoughts. ‘But why does that matter?’

‘Our plan is to let you make a deal with Kingsley and reverse-summon the Death Eaters via their Marks,’ Severus said. ‘But we also cannot let you risk your life in the process, and if we aren’t capable of the same feats as you, we’d have to find a way to see these layers of magic at least, to know to pull you out of the casting if it’s dangerous. Darker magic takes more energy as well, and first, it can only deplete your magical core, leaving you a Squib, but then, it can also drain you to a level where you’re dead.’

Nice, hearing these prospects…

‘Look, obviously we won’t let that happen,’ Sev now placed his hand on Harry’s. ‘That’s what I’m saying. Since my magic matches yours, I’ll be there and will be able to help. But… I need to see into these layers to know how you and you’re magic is doing.’

To that, Lucius only stood, and promptly left, but then returned a couple of minutes later, with a Quibbler in his hand.

‘This was on out nightstand, so don’t judge me for reading it,’ he said, before sitting down and opening it on a page, giving it to Sev and Harry to read.

Harry glanced at the article that was written by Luna, and the title said: ‘What happens when a Boggart sees itself in the Mirror of Erised?’, and Harry just couldn’t believe Luc would actually go ahead and read anything like this.

‘As I said, it was in our nightstand,’ the blond wizard stated when both Sev and Harry were now eying him. ‘And it sounded almost too ridiculous for me to _not_ read it.’

‘And?’ Harry recovered before the Potion Master to ask.

‘Miss Lovegood doesn’t have a job, but spends all her time researching magic, as I understand. And one day she accidentally forgot to lock the Boggart up when she was done for the day, and the Mirror of Erised was also there. So the next day when she entered, she went up to the Boggart in front of the Mirror to lock it back up, and inspect the damage if there was any but instead of that, she ended up fainting.’

‘And Lovegood being careless and fainting is good because?’ Sev now prompted, making Lucius smile.

‘Because she said she saw three versions of herself while she was out. I first thought it was the Mirror or the Boggard effecting her mind, but now I think they were both. Since the Boggart shows people their greatest fear, and the Mirror their greatest desire-’

‘They must work on a deeper layer too to know about it!’ Severus now seemed to get it, but Harry still didn’t.

‘And,’ Lucius nodded. ‘Not only that, but they are opposing forces. And when Miss Lovegood stood there, affected by both, there is a slight possibility that she slipped into a bent magical layer, where she could see all layers of herself. Although, she fainted because seeing every layer at once ate through her energy fast.’

‘And she doesn’t even know,’ Sev announced.

‘Well, it’s still just a theory,’ Lucius said. ‘But if there are 3 layers, you only need to monitor Harry on one, to save his life if needed when he’s casting NP, should anything go wrong. And if there are objects like the Mirror and creatures like the Boggart which are capable of monitoring multiple layers, then we could even make something to monitor different layers. Like, enchanted glasses or-’

‘A crystal ball,’ Harry said, making Luc just chuckle.

‘I think you’re making fun of me now, Harry,’ Lucius warned, making Harry say in return.

‘No. I’d never!’

‘Good, because it’s a brilliant theory,’ the blond stated, making Severus now sigh.

‘Too bad that if this brilliant theory is right, we’d need to work with Lovegood to get to the bottom of it.’

‘She’s not that bad!’ Harry protected her, but they didn’t seem to be convinced.

That though, being Slytherins, didn’t stop Sev and Luc to interview Luna, and Harry was glad when they ended up working together. Even Xenophilius got over to Grimmauld’s Place sometimes, helping them, and while Luc and Sev eyed both like the Lovegoods were spreading some kind of disease, just by their unusual appearance and views, they never commented on it.

In return, nor Luna nor her father gave up Lucius to the Ministry, even if there was a reward promised for people who did just that, Harry’s friendship meaning more to Luna, and Luna meaning more to Xenophilius to do so.

They were now conducting experiments which were similar to what Luna accidentally witnessed, but while they could use Alecto Carrow’s fake-Boggart spell to analyze it, they couldn’t really do it with the Mirror, and they needed both.

Then, Harry also needed to get to Quidditch now, his contract starting, and whenever so often he got home dead-tired, and Sev and Luc were still researching, Harry didn’t have the motivation to join them. In fact, he felt left behind, the other two spending all their time together, while Harry had to leave every day, even for weekend training sometimes.

He loved Quidditch and he also liked how he was now Draco’s competitor too, but, he still felt like he almost barely saw Sev and Luc anymore.

However, one day, when he got home and saw a picture on a page of a book that was on the table, both Sev and Luc still reading, he remembered.

‘Dumbledore modified the Mirror of Erised! My first year, he modified it to hide the Stone, and it could only be obtained if it wasn’t your desire to get it!’ he realized, now making Sev say.

‘Yes! The stone was probably hidden in another layer then, and to get there, there was some kind of a ward connecting the layers, because the Stone could only be obtained if it wasn't wanted…’

‘And, some cultures believe mirrors are actually portals to different dimensions,’ Lucius added. ‘What if he didn’t modify the Mirror, just used some power that was already there? Maybe the old coot himself didn’t even realize it fully, but he used it as a doorway to transport the Stone back and forth in these layers of reality…’

‘Which means, I have to talk to Albus’s portrait,’ Severus now said. ‘A conversation I don’t look forward to.’

However, Sev’s talk with Dumbledore got them further along, and so, when Severus told them all (even Luna was there) of what he learned, it seemed the Mirror could be a portal, but if it was, it required a lot of energy to open. Even the wizards and witches who made the Mirror needed a large group of magicals and fully charged magical talismans and sacrifices _and_ months spent chanting to change an ordinary mirror to what it was now.

But, since Luna had the Mirror in her possession, they were able to examine it, and there was the craving on the top about it being the Mirror and its functionality, and Dumbledore’s portrait did tell Severus that it only appeared in English for them because there was a translation charm on it - although it didn’t work properly, because how the text was still backwards and spaced badly.

That, however, made Lucius think Harry could just open it with NP, given that they theorized that magic was on a different layer, and as someone who could use that type of magic, Harry didn’t have to perform spells on the first layer and push huge energies to what they’ve been guessing was the third, trying to build a bridge, converting and losing power, but instead, he could just command it on the third.

In theory. Still, it was dangerous, even if not so dangerous as using the same power to go to Kingsley and spell him to change his mind about Lucius and the constant raids now they were basically accustomed to.

So, with Severus standing close to give Harry power, should he need it, but a bit further back, so he wasn’t interfering with the magic, Harry tried to open the portal within the mirror, which they weren’t even sure was possible or that it existed.

Then, when nothing happened, Harry thought about it. When he was using NP before, he used it on people. And circumstances were different that he was deeply in his thoughts when feeding Sally, and almost asleep when he told Luc to sleep too.

What if, he needed to be almost in a meditative state for it to work? Like Legilimency was often taught with meditations first, if someone wasn’t a natural or never did experience it before?

So, he tried to relax, and only concentrate on one thing, instead of trying not to think about anything, which was still a result, in the end. Instead of choosing to think about his own breathing, he chose to think about Severus standing behind him, and their connection, which as well should have been existing on another layer, so…

He opened his eyes then, minutes later, but the Mirror didn’t change or showed any signs of becoming any more than a magical Mirror to his commands.

Except, when he gave up and glanced at the top, the text wasn’t jumbled anymore.

So, he was probably seeing to another layer now, not thinking he could transport his consciousness between layers, that would have eaten away much more energy, but even seeing into different realms meant they were right and it could be done, and…

And, as he turned, he saw everyone standing behind him, but they were different. Severus looked relaxed and confident, Lucius just the opposite, and Luna was quite ordinary compared to herself. Harry glanced at the Mirror, to see himself, and he looked… himself, except he looked… not that it was easily explicable, but he knew.

He was a Dark Wizard on this layer. And the layer felt like it showed people’s polar opposites that were still somehow part of their personalities… And Harry now could see a chain starting from his chest and going to Severus’s. Their connection.

Also, when he looked up at the Mirror, the text wasn’t jumbled anymore. And it wasn’t saying it was the Mirror of Erised either. It read: “Secrets come and go, but only the spectator is permanent.”

Harry first thought this spectator meant Death itself, but how was that connected to the Mirror then? Why engrave it into a magical object in possibly all layers and…?

He got to the second layer by meditating, he realized. Sort of giving up on himself and his mind. He suddenly knew what he needed to go to the third, and realized why no one (except Harry and Voldemort), spoke NP before that they theorized came from the third.

To go to the third layer he had to get rid of his life - he had to get rid of the idea of himself even more fully. People couldn’t control magic from the third layer because they would die, or never enter to that layer without many magicals working together for the longest time, as possibly the creators of the Mirror did.

But, Voldemort didn’t die, he used other people’s death to harvest the power. And… ghost were souls living in this realm, probably. And Harry… he was Master of Death. He had powers from there.

So, he closed his eyes again, and he knew his magic was working when he felt his magic draining and the temperature getting colder. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn’t surprised he saw not a Mirror, but a girl standing in front of him.

‘They sacrificed you,’ Harry asked her, but he was almost sure. ‘To make the Mirror. Now you _are_ the Mirror.’

‘Yes,’ the girl said curtly.

And, coincidentally, Harry had NP that mostly worked in this layer and on people. He could make her change herself so that the Mirror will now show the other two dimensions instead of this one. But it needed a lot of magic, and even Harry’s magic wasn’t infinite. He’d have to return and do it another time.

He glanced back at Sev, thinking the wizard might panic and try to give him power, but two things were clear: Sev was frozen and… and the wizard had a chain starting from his chest, going to Lucius’s chest. They were connected! Just not on the second level like Harry and Severus, but instead, on the level that was even deeper. Harry frowned.

‘Time passes differently on this level. Immortals and dead are, after all, out of time,’ the girl said. ‘From their point of view, you were only gone a second. And I have been trapped in this Mirror now a hundred million years.’

Harry thought she seemed lucid compared to that, but he didn’t trust her.

‘Albus Dumbledore. You met him?’ he curtly asked, only realizing Luna was now faintly shining on this level. Well, she saw the Thestrals and her mom’s death, she might have some connection to this layer…

‘No, but he tasked me with something. A long time ago,’ she said.

‘To give the Stone to only those who don’t desire it.’

‘To give the Stone only to you,’ she now corrected. ‘He didn’t even key me to his own magic.’

Which, was a bit disturbing, but it was in the past. As the girl said, many years ago. And Harry knew, that if he was tempted to stay even as an onlooker into this layer, he’d be soon dead. It was time for him to go back, tell the others, and recharge.

‘I’ll be back,’ he told the girl, who just noded.

‘Usually, people are.’

Then, Harry had an unease returning after hearing that, and he must have lost consciousness, or it was natural for people to pass out, after seeing through the layers, as Luna also did, but when he opened his eyes next, he was tucked to bed, Severus grabbing his hand, worry all over his face, Lucius sitting next to Harry, with a book, but also not reading.

‘I did it. I managed to see the other realms,’ Harry said in a small voice. ‘And you and Lucius are connected, only in the third layer, a deeper layer than all.’

It took more time to explain everything, of course, and the more Harry talked about it, the more ridiculously it sounded like a dream.

‘You were out cold a day, Harry,’ Severus mentioned. ‘You sure it was real and not a dream?’

‘Yes,’ Harry said.

‘So, you two are connected on the level of alter-egos,’ Lucius said, ‘And you claim, Harry, that Severus and I are connected on the level of Death?’

‘On the level of immortality,’ Harry corrected. ‘That’s way too more than the connection I have with Severus, actually.’

‘But then, you and I aren’t?’ Lucius asked, making Harry stare.

‘Why would we be?’ Harry questioned the idea without realizing how that sounded. ‘I mean-’

‘I refuse to believe we all aren’t entangled somehow if I am and Severus are too, connected,’ the blond stated, defiant of the frown Harry was now giving to him.

But then again, Luc’s self-confidence was all an act, wasn’t it? Harry saw how it didn’t reach the second layer. In fact, Luc was very different behind the facade.

‘It’s okay,’ Harry found himself saying. ‘Even if I’m not meant to be part of this relationship, the fact doesn’t change that I still have to help you two to figure this one out.’

‘Maybe there are more layers, not just three,’ Sev now said. ‘And in one, Luc is connected to you.’

They were trying to comfort Harry any way they could, but Harry only felt his jealousy toward the other two in the last couple of weeks was vindicated, him being out of the picture and Luc and Sev brewing and researching together.

‘And we did establish that these connections aren’t what make relationships work out,’ Luc added, given that it was what he’d said just when he didn’t know about his connection with Sev. ‘And the second layer might not be as deep as the third, Harry, but you’re still connected to Severus and the second layer is closer to our reality, if you will, so it might have a greater power on this layer then the third.’

Harry doubted that, but didn’t even found it in himself to argue.

‘Well, anyway, your theory was right,’ he told Sev. ‘And I do think I could tinker the Mirror for you to see me casting, and then we could proceed with the Death-Eater-collecting plan soon.’

‘Maybe it isn’t worth the risk,’ Severus, however, said.

‘Yes, that’s what I’ve been thinking,’ Lucius nodded. ‘Even looking at the third layer, you were in danger.’

‘I stayed too long,’ Harry, on the other hand, found himself arguing. ‘And if you two don’t want to back me up, I don’t need to waste time with the Mirror at all, I can go to Kingsley straight away-’

‘No, that’s not happening,’ Sev now warned. ‘And neither you leaving us behind is happening either.’

Harry didn’t argue that case anymore, but Severus must have felt his feelings given that he was still transferring power to Harry by holding his hand, being close to his magic and mind.

‘I could order you to just forget about me and go on as a couple,’ Harry said, and him saying it took a great deal of will. It was in his nature to hide that he had that idea then just do it without asking the other two, but he must have really wanted it not to become a reality because he just told them both.

‘You have no _right_ to do that,’ to his surprise, it was Lucius saying that, not Sev. ‘And you’re quite a hypocrite saying to me it doesn’t matter how I don’t have a connection to either of you, but that is of no matter when you are now thinking the worst just because it turns out I do.’

Harry supposed the blond wizard was right, and he was… and the multiple sides of someone being a hypocrite got him thinking about the Mirror again.

‘I… think humans aren’t intended to see more layers at once,’ he stated, thinking back. ‘So I should only charm the Mirror to show the third, it’s what we need for the plan.’

Plus, then, Severus and Lucius could see their link for themselves, and rethink what that meant, but he didn’t mention that.

In fact, turning the Mirror to show something else was now child’s play, and collecting the Death Eaters working with Kingsley, influencing the Minister’s mind to make the deal went without any complications and much easier than expected, in Harry’s point of view.

Not only he got Luc’s freedom in exchange for turning in the Death Eaters, sending the Aurors to the locations he felt Voldemort’s lingering magic in the third layer, but he also ordered Kingsley to get rid of the Potion the Ministry was working on, and destroy any research on that field - but only after Severus had a copy of it all, saying they shouldn’t get rid of any scientific advancement, no matter how dangerous, if it also could _do good_ in the future.

And by then, Harry could switch between layers more easily, even if he wasn’t meant to and that still cost him. Since no living soul was meant to.

He kept a secret from the Ministry and Sev and Luc too, when he was tracking the Death Eaters, and now had a baby girl in his arms, heading to talk with Ginny and Draco, who had their daughter, Mira born not so long ago.

To say his best friends were stunned by what Harry was saying, holding a one year infant, was an understatement, but he knew that they won’t say no in the end. Well, he hoped they won’t at least.

‘You’re saying Voldemort had a kid,’ Ginny summed up, still in shock, but at least capable of speaking, unlike Draco. ‘And you felt her magic when you were tracking Voldemort’s magic to the Death Eaters, and now that her only caregiver is gone, given that he was a Death Eater too, you wish for us to raise her with _our_ daughter.’

‘She needs a family,’ Harry sighed, as the bundle in his arms stirred, but luckily, she wasn’t crying now, which couldn’t have been said about when he first held her. ‘Otherwise, she’ll grow up alone and bitter, and we’ve seen how that worked out for her father. And you and Draco know what it’s like to make bad choices, so you will understand if she makes one-’

‘Well, thank you for reminding us of that,’ Dray now snapped, but Harry just said.

‘I mean-’

‘Still, our daughter is our first responsibility, Harry,’ Ginny now interrupted, frowning. ‘And maybe I don’t want her to grow up with a potentially dangerous sister.’

‘Have you told my father and Severus about her?’ Draco added, not even waiting for an answer when he saw Harry’s face. ‘You should. Maybe you three could adopt her-’

‘I’m… Our relationship is not that stable,’ Harry only said, not wanting to go into details. ‘And I’m not someone who’s good with kids. In fact, I don’t want any.’

‘Never?’ Ginny quietly asked. ‘But I thought you wanted a big family…’

That was before Harry could actually make people behave as he wanted. It was such an unnatural power, he felt an outsider to the first layer now, no one being even capable to understand what those powers really meant. And…

Hell, the last thing he wanted was to make someone inherit things from him. 

And, he couldn’t risk raising even Voldemort’s child (or better said, especially _not_ Voldemort’s kid, given that she will be powerful and lost too soon too), because even if his blood weren’t the same Delphi possessed, he could still give her a bad mindset raising her to think like him.

‘So, should I try and ask Luna and Xeno then? Maybe they will take her in, I just thought a full family is better, but if you two are this against her-’

‘No, but we still need to think this over,’ Draco said, but at the same time, Ginny spoke up too.

‘No, we’ll do it.’

‘What?’ the younger Malfoy now asked.

‘She’ll be no doubt powerful and difficult to handle,’ Ginny stated. ‘Would you trust anyone else with that, Dray?’

‘But our daughter-’

‘Yes, if we raise her to be anything like her father, then our daughter and us both will probably suffer later on. But, if we do this right, our daughter will have the best big sister and friend ever…’

‘And I support you, I’ll pay for her every need,’ Harry added. He knew how his friends weren’t exactly well-off, even with Draco having a job now. ‘And when the time comes, I can explain to her who her real father was and who she is-’

‘Maybe we shouldn’t tell her,’ Ginny now said, taking the infant from Harry, looking at her with pity.

‘She’ll figure it out,’ Harry knew that. ‘But I’ll be ready to talk.’

In fact, he was ready to tell her how he killed Voldemort and why, if needed, and also teach her magic.

‘Alright, we’ll do it,’ Draco now said, looking at the infant in Ginny’s arms. ‘And no-one will know the truth from us. But in return…’

Of course, Harry thought.

‘In return, you go back to my beloved and only father and godfather and talk with them,’ the blond said, making Harry stare at him for one second.

‘Dray-’

‘No, you bring us a responsibility as big as this, you aren’t just paying for her toys, Mister!’ Ginny now said, in full cooperation with Draco. ‘But you are taking up more responsibility as well. Either you talk with those two, and figure what went wrong and fix it, or I will!’

Harry wasn’t sure there was anything to fix, it’s not like he had a fight with them, or that they wanted to force him out of the relationship, it was more like… he was now distanced from the other two. Years away, suddenly, and forgetting a way back to them.

All his memories now seemed to be of someone else, not himself, and despite his best efforts to not to let Lucius and Severus’s connection influence him, Harry still knew it was.

In fact, Harry talked with Mirror-girl now a couple of times, given that he couldn’t really talk about it to anyone else, and she mentioned something.

The third layer wasn’t only deeper than the other two, it was also more costing, and not just magically. If you made someone else’s life go another way that it was meant to, you were punished, so your life changed as well. The more people you interfered with, the more troubles you’d have, and…

And Harry was pretty sure that him catching the Death Eaters and manipulating Kingsley to _free_ Lucius somehow caused Harry to _free_ himself of the relationship he had with Sev and Luc, as some sort of poetic justice or downside of his doings.

So even if he remembered how much he loved those two once, the feelings weren’t there anymore now, and he doubted he could undo that if said relationship was the price he had to pay for meddling with the lives of others.

Nonetheless, this wasn’t proved, and he couldn’t tell Sev or Luc because then they’d knew how Harry felt (or, _didn't feel_ ), and it would hurt them even more, and he couldn’t tell it to Dray or Gin now either, because they would tell everything Severus and Lucius in an instant.

‘I will talk to them,’ he promised, but mainly because he just didn’t want to worry Ginny and Draco any more than giving them Tom’s daughter probably already did.

He also _wanted_ to talk to Sev and Luc, he desperately would have tried anything to fix the situation. But he didn't know what to say and had no idea what he would have to say to actually change the way things were now heading.

Then, one day, he was in front of the modified Mirror, and he saw Sirius behind himself. He automatically turned, and of course, there wasn’t anyone behind him, not on that layer, at least… But he checked with his magic, whether the Mirror reverted to its original state to convey desires, and it wasn’t.

Sirius was there now, with him, on the third layer, the layer of the death.

‘I… How? Were you here all along?’ Harry asked, thinking Sirius could have been, but Harry wasn’t yet practiced or strong enough to realize, or maybe Sirius made himself invisible on purpose.

‘Yes and no,’ the other wizard answered. ‘And it is really me, Harry.’

Which, was now showing how Sirius knew what he was thinking without Harry saying.

‘Then you were here all along, but you weren’t?’ Harry asked, and Sirius nodded.

‘Yes. A part of my magic got sent to this plane because I fell through the veil just when I died, and it got tucked away. It was waiting for you, but wouldn’t have lasted long, so it was dormant.’

‘But how could it have been-’

‘There are deeper levels, Harry,’ Sirius now said. ‘It was tucked away even deeper so you wouldn’t find it until you needed to hear what I’m about to say.’

‘A warning?’ Harry now wondered, because as great it felt to talk with Sirius again, the last thing he needed was some more magical trouble.

‘A helping hand,’ Sirius corrected. ‘I… It has to be me to tell you because I would have resisted this from happening the best. But being on a plain where there aren’t any colors or much of anything, only the simplest version of everything, their deepest essence, their life-source, and spending a couple of thousand years thinking about it, I think I’m ready.’

‘For?’

‘Telling you that you’re making a mistake, Harry.’

‘Story of my life, so you have to be more specific, I’m afraid,’ Harry warned now, making Sirius chuckle.

‘Yes, I guess. I… Snivellus. And the blond bastard,’ Sirius rolled his eyes, but it seemed more for a show than any real sentiment somehow. ‘You’re making a mistake giving them up.’

‘I’m not doing it,’ Harry reminded the wizard promptly. ‘In fact, I would do anything to change things coming to this.’

‘Funny you should think that and still not realize you can pay the third layer to restore your relationship with them,’ Sirius said.

‘How?’

‘When you used your magic on Kingsley, your will overruled his own, and the third layer never lets anyone walk without them dearly paying for it, and you did. But… you can also pay for what you lost, Harry,’ Sirius explained.

‘And the payment?’ Harry inquired.

‘You always lose what’s the most important for you in return,’ Sirius said. ‘Voldemort, for instance, had lost his mind. You lost your love for them.’

‘And what’s the most important to me now?’

‘You magic,’ Sirius calmly stated, but it made Harry only laugh.

His magic! Without it, even if he got back Sev and Luc, they would… they both were highly capable wizards. There was no way they’d be with Harry if he was a Squib. 

Not on a long run, sooner or later they’d leave him or get distanced.

And even if Harry’s Quidditch career wouldn’t be straight over (the brooms could fly with alone on their magic, although Harry might lose some flashy moves he was probably so good at because of his magic), he’d still lose about a 100 years of his life, given that Muggles lived that much less then wizards.

‘It is a hard trade,’ Sirius agreed. ‘But you do have the power to chose what you want.’

‘And we already know what you want me to choose,’ Harry noted, irritated. Because he was already considering doing it, even if he knew it wasn’t the solution anyway…

‘I can’t make the choice for you, obviously,’ Sirius said. ‘And I’ve used most of my time up talking to you now. But let me ask a question, Harry? What would you choose? A short happy life with the people you love, or a long one where you can become the most powerful wizard of your time, but will be forever distanced from everyone else?’

‘I’d ask the person who is making me take one choice why they are doing this,’ Harry argued, not willing to take the point.

Sirius, however, only smiled and ruffled his hair.

‘Well, whatever you do, keep that attitude,’ Sirius now said, fading. ‘It’s entertaining.’

And then, he was gone. 

Harry almost felt as bad losing him the second time as the first, and he wondered. Sirius never got to the part where he could have told Harry how to actually forfeit his magic for his Sev and Luc.

But then he thought about it. NP worked on people, using the third layer. So he had to enchant _himself_ just as he did Kingsley. To make himself feel happy and loved and loving. And he will do it.

And it will take his magic not only because it was a price to pay, but also because it will be like a snake biting his own tail, a circle of life, a wheel of fate turning, and he wouldn’t be able to cast on himself and expect results if he had the powers to fight those results off. 

But still he knew he will do it, and when Sev and Luc appeared, finding him in the room where they set up the Mirror with Luna’s permission, he got even surer when now Severus pulled him to his arms and stated.

‘You’re going to have to restore the Mirror, and Luna is taking it back,’ he told Harry. ‘Me and Luc don’t like the way it affects you.’

‘Me neither,’ Harry muttered, only to be squeezed tighter to the hug Severus was holding him in, and Luc to come and give him a kiss on his lips.

‘I do propose a way to get the damn thing out of your mind,’ the pureblood said, making Harry laugh.

‘Having sex isn’t the solution to everything, you know.’

‘Now you just insult me,’ Lucius acted hurt. ‘I could have meant research, or anything else…’

‘But you didn’t,’ Sev now said from behind Harry.

‘Well, we _could have sex_ instead of just standing here, arguing about it, that’s for sure,’ Lucius said, now stepping even closer to Harry, and therefore, to the chuckling Severus too.


	10. Chapter 24 - Mood Magic and Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! As I've mentioned on the other AU side which some of you might read, I'm quite ready to wrap both of these stories up, so I think we'll have like one final chapter for this too, and then it's complete.
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and kudoing and commenting! I must admit, I like this side a tad bit better, maybe bc it was a surprise for me as well that it even exists! XOXO
> 
> (PS: If someone has any pairing I should write next, I might consider it.)

Harry was ready to sacrifice his magic, just because he still could perfectly well remember how he used to feel about the other two.

And Sirius would never tell him to stay with Severus if it wasn’t for the best. 

So, he was on the verge of entering the third layer, to announce he’s giving up his magic to get back what he’s lost. 

Then Luc appeared, and he dragged Harry out of the room, where he was standing in front of the Mirror.

‘Harry, whatever you’re thinking, it’s not real,’ he said in a hurried tone. ‘Look at me! Listen to me, it’s not.’

Harry dubiously stared at the blond.

‘I figured it wasn’t a girl they sacrificed to make the Mirror,’ Lucius then said. ‘It was bothering me so I did further research. It wasn’t even a sacrifice! It was self-protection.’

‘Now you lost me,’ Harry said, wondering why he was shaking. 

Then again, he was ready to give up everything, so he supposed he was shaking after that was stopped, and with the knowledge on Harry’s part that he’d have to do it again anyway.

‘It’s a siren that’s trapped in the Mirror, Harry, and it’s a prison for the creature. People trapped it hundreds and hundreds of years ago, so it only has limited power in this realm. Sirens, however, always could project what their victims wanted and fed on their grief and sadness later when they can’t have their desire for real, don’t you see?’

‘So the girl I saw is a siren,’ Harry now summed up. ‘And the Mirror works the way she does, only she has less power than if she wasn’t trapped.’

‘I’m almost certain her real face isn’t a girl, Harry, she just wanted you to see her more vulnerable,’ the Pureblood explained. ‘On a deeper level, she must be a scaled monster. And also, she still has a great hold on you. You not only were exposed to her as a child and now again but can see as deep as layer three, where she still remains powerful. Has the Mirror shown you anything lately? Anything suggesting you should harm or kill yourself? That would be the ultimate delicacy for her.’

Harry now stuck to his stomach and still shaking. So Sirius wasn’t waiting for him to help out with an advice, after all. He was long dead, and it was just a trap.

He considered how he could tell Luc everything, the Mirror wanting him to give up magic as an ultimate source for pain and suffering (without Harry killing himself, so she could continue to snack on his pain), but then, he hesitated.

Because then he’d have to admit why he believed it all. How he lost his love for both Sev and Luc because he was playing with powers beyond his comprehension.

On the one hand, he should have felt relief, because him giving up magic was just the siren’s evil plan, not needed, and Lucius did just stop him before he was making a huge mistake.

But on the other, he still was willing to do it, because losing his two Slytherins were an even more painful situation, and the only hope of undoing that just was undone by Luc stopping him.

‘I don’t feel so good,’ he just said, wanting to leave the blond and going to the bathroom, although he wasn’t sure whether to cry or to be sick. Maybe both.

He was making mistakes after mistakes, wasn’t he? He wasn’t thinking the situations clearly through, still running head first to every danger, and expecting his luck to hold up so he’d get the best results back.

Real world, however, didn’t work like that. Not even for wizards. Not even for Harry Potter.

‘Harry, you’re scaring me,’ before Harry could turn to storm of the bathroom, however, Lucius grabbed his wrist, and pulled him back. ‘Did you already do something because of her?’

‘No, I didn’t,’ Harry pulled on his hand, but that wasn’t enough for the other wizard to release him.

‘She clearly did a number on you,’ Luc then said, looking at him. ‘But it wasn’t real, Harry-‘

‘Which makes it only worse!’ Harry burst out, not really expecting himself to. ‘I saw… _things_ I wanted to happen. Things I’d give _anything_ for.’

‘Harry, let’s call Sev and figure this out,’ the blond said, making Harry with both physical and magical force get rid of the blond’s hand holding him.

‘I’m not a kid who’d need you both just because-‘

‘That’s not what I’ve said, and I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go anywhere like this,’ Lucius quickly said. ‘When I was down, you and Severus didn’t let me do anything stupid, and saved me, so just trust that I’m doing the same for you!’

‘You can’t stop me,’ Harry then found himself saying. 

He was hurting so much, even if not in front of the presence of the damn Mirror, all he wanted was just to leave, and go somewhere where he could be alone.

‘But I’d duel you,’ Lucius said, now pulling his wand from a holster hidden in his robes. ‘And you wouldn’t want to hurt me seriously so you can’t use all you have.’

Harry wasn’t sure about that either anymore, but then, Lucius was stalling now, wasn’t he. He must have called Severus already in their minds, and now the both of them thought Harry was unstable and they had to take care of him.

When in fact, Harry was no longer happy with them. They only reminded him of how he was still an outsider, a freak, even in their trio.

How he almost never got what he wanted, and how he always lost everything he still did, with time.

But, Lucius couldn’t keep him now. The Black Mansion was his property, so he could Apparate from any segment of it to anywhere. So, he did, without attempting to fight Luc at all.

Only, when he Apparated himself to a motel in the middle of a small town, and got a room, by the time he got to the dust infested room and was about to put on protective charms, when he opened the door, Sev and Luc both were there, so he almost just turned to leave where he came from.

But this time, Severus managed to grab Harry’s clothing, pulling him back to the room with them, and shutting the door firmly with magic.

‘Harry James Potter, sit the fuck down and think,’ he ordered.

Harry tried not to frown at the tone, but it was fair. He wouldn’t have paid attention otherwise.

‘Tell us the happenings of the last couple of days,’ Sev went on, sitting down on his one side, while Luc just stood there in the room, looking at them. ‘As you perceived them.’

‘As I-?’

‘Just tell me,’ Severus said, not leaving him any other choice.

‘I made a deal with Kingsley and captured the Death Eaters in return to Luc’s freedom,’ Harry said.

‘Yes, that happened,’ the Potion Master nodded.

‘I… I sensed Voldemort had a daughter when I was looking for the criminals so I took her where she’d be the safest, to Ginny and Draco,’ Harry counted, making Lucius frown.

‘I’m going to check, you stay with him,’ he told Sev and Apparated away.

‘Go on,’ Severus told Harry, now making him come to the worst part.

‘I also… with the link between you and Lucius… Actually, there is a price to pay for the magic of the third level,’ Harry said. ‘I… it has taken my love for you and Luc, Sev. And I thought I saw Sirius telling me if I gave up magic, I can get you two back, but then Lucius said the Mirror was just toying with me.’

He didn’t mean to tell that to anyone, especially not to Sev or Luc, but he was weak.

‘Harry, your feelings of down and doubt are from the Mirror,’ Severus said now. ‘You still love us, nobody has taken that from you, the Mirror is just probably trying to dampen it.’

‘No-‘

‘How did you figure you lost us? Wasn’t it her who has told you that in the first place?’

‘But my feelings…’

‘Mood magic is one of the specialties of the sirens,’ Severus now said. ‘Just as singing is.’

‘She was never singing,’ Harry noted, but by then, Sev was kissing him, and pushing him back to the bed that he used a quick cleaning charm on.

‘Sev-‘

‘If you do truly believe you don’t love us anymore, I show you how you still _desire_ us. And if that’s true, we can build back the feelings, even if they are gone as you say and not just hidden.’

And Harry wanted to object to that, but after a couple of minutes, it was just easier to not.

And when Lucius got back, they were already done, even though he wasn’t gone that long.

‘No sign of any child, other than my granddaughter,’ the blond announced, sitting down on the bed where Harry was still catching his breath.

‘So Harry sees losing us, a child of Voldemort and Sirius Black telling him he needs to sacrifice his magic in order to get the feel for us back,’ Sev summed up, making Luc ask.

‘Really? Is that what the Mirror fed you?’

‘It’s not-‘

‘And you were worried about losing me too?’ Lucius pressed on, now pulling his cloak off, and bending down to kiss Harry on the same swift motion. ‘Not just Severus?’

‘No, not just him,’ Harry said, admitting. ‘But we cannot know it wasn’t real…’

‘It’s emotional magic coming from the siren,’ Lucius said after their kiss ended. ‘They can do that just like Dementors.’

‘That’s what I said,’ the Potion Master lazily noted from Harry, not even bothered to cover his naked body up now, which did catch Lucius’s attention.

‘And even if it was real. We’d still don’t care, just make you fall for us once again,’ the blond now gave Harry a look. ‘So you mustn’t worry. In fact, if you want me to blow you anytime like when we first had sex just the two of us, all you have to do is ask, Harry.’

And Harry would have answered, but Severus was right. The desire for the other two was still there, no matter what so soon enough, Luc got undressed as well, and they ended up sleeping there in the motel, three people in a bed intended for two.

Yet still, when Harry woke next morning, his unease crept back, but then, Luc just kissed his neck and tightened his arms around him, Severus snoring slightly behind him.

‘Sleep back.’

And Harry tired, and got into a terrible nightmare first, but then when he woke up and turned to his other side, facing Lucius and fell asleep again, he got up to the other two already up.

‘So, I wish I didn’t have to ask this, Harry, but I feel like I have to,’ Sev said, while Luc was still holding him close. ‘Were you in love with Sirius?’

‘What?! He was… like a father to me,’ Harry said. ‘Just as Remus.’

‘Well, losing him clearly hurt you, and you want him back,’ Severus stated. ‘And losing people, in general, seems to be a fear of yours, losing us too. But the thing where you thought you visited Draco and Ginny to hand off a daughter of Tom… why do you think the Mirror made you see that? Is it torture for you because you want kids and that’s why you saw yourself giving one up?’

Harry now just looked at the other two, trying to figure what they were thinking, but they were looking back at him the very same way.

‘I don’t think that’s it.’

‘Then your connection to Tom. Are you missing him somehow?’ Sev went on, and Luc must have just agreed with everything because he didn’t stop the questioning.

‘Why on earth would I miss him?’

‘Sometimes it’s easier to be a good person in contrast to someone who clearly isn’t,’ Lucius just quietly said.

‘And sometimes it’s easier to fight if your enemy is pure evil and in front of you,’ Severus added. ‘And it’s the hardest when it’s you.’

‘If anything, Voldemort was me,’ Harry said. ‘He had a piece of his nastiness inside my head, after all.’

‘So you did lose a piece of yourself then and you want it back with a child?’ Severus now asked, making Harry frustrated.

‘It’s not as if you two are offering to have a kid with me, so would you stop saying that?’ he told the Potion Master, making him almost faint when he heard the answer.

‘For you, Harry, we might consider it. We are older, after all, and if there is anyone who isn’t ready it would be you.’

‘I already did have a child, so,’ Lucius chimed in.

‘I don’t want a kid!’ Harry now stated, because it was mind-blowing really, to see what those two would do for him. ‘It’s not who we are. And I like that it isn’t.’

‘But giving it up still saddens you?’ this time, Lucius pushed further, not Sev.

Harry thought it was plain torture. Not only thinking about these things but answering honestly.

‘I… don’t know why the Mirror made me see that.’

‘I do think if we figured it out it would affect you less,’ Severus said. ‘And also, if you do wish to have a family, we should know about it. And we should talk about it.’

‘I… it hurt me because when I saw myself dropping the child off to Draco and Ginny, they made me promise to talk with you two.’

‘But, there must be a reason for you seeing this infant character in the first place,’ Luc said. ‘And how she was not just any kid, but Voldemort’s child.’

‘I guess I wished I was Delphi if I really want to be honest about it,’ Harry now just sighed. ‘That she was connected to Voldemort and potentially dangerous but was still adopted by someone who cared?’

‘Are you sure?’ Sev now just asked, making Harry consider.

‘You two don’t think I want a kid, right?’ he still couldn’t tell, but it was the truth. He really didn’t. ‘Because I don’t have anything against them, but in a weird way, I don’t want to share you two with someone else, and a child does take up a lot of time.’

‘Don’t get this the wrong way, Harry, but given what you had gone through during your life, maybe you should talk to someone,’ Severus said. ‘We can be there for you with Luc, and make you realize you never stopped loving us, but no one can give your parents back or change your childhood. Or even if it was possible-‘

‘I know,’ Harry sighed. ‘I wouldn’t be myself today if it wasn’t for that. But I didn’t think it was a problem still lingering, to be honest.’

‘When did you ever have the time to deal with your past, Harry?’ Severus gently asked. ‘You were hunted by Voldemort, then by people who used to be your friends and somehow, even by your own powers later.’

‘But you were a spy for Voldemort, and Lucius was living with the man, then was an escapee convict strapped from his every possession,’ Harry stated. ‘You two are still not affected by the Mirror though.’

‘It doesn’t mean it wouldn’t attack as all the same if we were to be as vulnerable and reachable and powerful as you are, Harry,’ Lucius said. ‘But if it changed your mood for the worst, maybe it isn’t a bad thing to fight that for now.’

Harry still felt bad that he needed anything like that, at all. And how would that work? 

He’d see a shrink, talk about his problems, and Obliviate the good doctor because otherwise, they’d still lock him up thinking he’s crazy, being a wizard and Harry Potter in their world?

‘There are Mediwitches,’ Severus then said, as if reading his mind.

‘But if I go to one, what’s the guarantee they don’t go the media with all the information?’

‘They always make an Unbreakable Vow,’ Lucius noted. ‘And it’s not like the Muggle ones Dwight has told us about.’

Hearing from their Muggle friends made Harry feel only worse. It’s been so long since they went to visit, although they used to go every week…

‘That’s it, I can see you’re spiraling down again,’ Sev noted, reaching for him. ‘I propose we destroy that damn Mirror and go away to someplace else until Harry’s mind isn’t restored. To have fun.’

‘ _Severuuussss_ ,’ Lucius just smiled, elongating Sev’s name with a joking voice. ‘Did you just use fun in a sentence? Who are you and what have you done with our beloved dungeon bat?’

‘Excuse you, but I never said I had anything against a little bit of a vacation if I got to spend it with you and Harry!’ Sev told the blond but didn’t even try to hex him for the comment. ‘I was just too busy with saying Harry’s life all the time, then even yours, and I had a business I just started too, but I do think people can live without quality potions for a week or two.’

‘Can we invite Dwight and company too?’ Lucius just asked, but then looked at Harry. ‘I mean… only if you say we should do it, Harry.’

Harry would have said no but was still smiling because of the dungeon bat comment and how Sev and Luc could argue with each other like a super-old Muggle couple sometimes.

Which, ultimately made him consider whether it would be Lucius who was the wife in the scenario or Sev and it was too funny to imagine both.

‘What?’ Luc wondered as Harry was now smiling at him. ‘Harry, I know I’m irresistible, but I asked you a question, you should answer first.’

‘Oh, we’re going,’ Harry stated. ‘But you two can’t let me out of your sight all the time.’

‘What do you think we were going to do?’ Sev wondered. ‘Although if we managed to destroy the Mirror, some of its hold should at least leave you.’

That was good news, and truth to b told, Harry already did feel better a bit.

‘But, there’s also the question of how to destroy it then. I imagine whomever locked the siren in the thing chose this solution not because they had mercy on her but because it was impossible for them to totally get rid of her.’

‘True, but I have very dark Potions in my possession, and if the Fiendfyre did kill a Horcrux, we could also try that,’ Sev now said.

‘And you can count on me to have a few dark curses too,’ Lucius said. ‘It’s just some she might be able to reflect back, with the Mirror and her powers, so that should be our last resort.’

‘Maybe I could do it,’ Harry announced. It would be the most therapeutic, after all.

‘Or we all could. I don’t want you to fight the thing alone,’ Severus corrected, making Harry just smile and consider he was right.

In the end, it wasn’t as dangerous as they were ready to take on, and the siren did disappear from the Mirror, but not before she told Harry.

‘Curse you, Harry Potter! It’s not like you could ever be happy without me!’

It was, on the surface a desperate attempt to make Harry stop, but then he realized she meant something else.

She thought Harry would be never “happy” or at least content by some pain inflicted on him either by the Dursleys, Voldemort, Dumbledore, or even Draco, in the old times, and Ron in the recent present.

But there was where Lucius and Severus came in.

Separated, sure, they all had their own problems, maybe even a bit more than most, even in the wizarding society.

But, together, they were stronger. And even if the Mirror’s effect still was on Harry’s mood and his feelings towards them, with his mind he _knew_ this was the truth, and that helped.

Plus, he was really obstinate and wanted nothing more than to prove that damn siren wrong. 

So not only did he agree to a short vacation during the summer (when it was probably the busiest), and also agree to bring all their Muggle friends too (who all were great, but admittedly, was so noisy and nosy too), but also went ahead and looked for tourist programs around the hotel they chose.

‘Harry, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re overdoing it,’ Luc noted when he saw how Harry was now dressed in a shirt that he charmed to read “best vacation ahead!”. ‘We do go there, I buy swimming trunks or shorts for Severus, because I’m sure he doesn’t have one, and we’ll just hang around the three pools the fine establishment has or take the yoga class and then retire to our rooms and don’t come out of there until we have dinner with our Muggles.’

‘You are saying that as if they are our pets,’ Harry warned. ‘Not cool, Mr. Racist Pureblood.’

‘Well, you aren’t that much better either, Mr. I’m-so-into-tourism Now either,’ Lucius just shot it right back.

‘Well, if you want to keep me in the bedroom for most of the day, I guess you could persuade or trick me to that as well,’ Harry joked but it wasn’t totally a joke either.

‘You know, that sexy image aside,’ Lucius just smiled. ‘I wanted to ask if… do you think I have a connection with Severus, or was it just the Mirror’s doing too?’

And damn, Harry didn’t even realize Luc had his doubts, but now his voice showed his emotions better than his carefully composed features did.

‘I can look to that realm,’ Harry said. ‘The Mirror was only helping me to do so, but I have powers there.’

‘Yes, I think you could,’ the blond sighed. ‘But I’m not sure I want to ask this of you.’

‘You already think that was just a trick too,’ Harry realized.

‘Maybe,’ Luc said, but his voice was affirming, and the more worried Harry got about that, the more he realized.

He cared! He even cared for Lucius, so there were feelings. And if there were, it was now sure he couldn’t have lost those. There was no way he’d lose some of them but hang to some others.

‘My Merlin, I love you!’ he ambushed the surprised Lucius with a hug, and in fact, he might not have thought about how that sounded before he managed to say it. ‘I mean…’

‘I’m this sexy when in doubt?’ Luc eyed him a bit reserved, but still joking, so Harry smiled.

‘Maybe I don’t mind if sometimes you’re mopey,’ Harry stated, making the proud pureblood frown.

‘Careful, Mr. Potter, with such name-calling in my presence,’ he warned, to what Harry only chose to say.

‘Or else?’

Fair to say, Sev was still finishing stuff up in his lab, but still, he had to wait _for them_ to use the Floo to get the closest to Dwight’s house as they could.

‘What were you two doing?’

‘Deciding on an issue,’ Lucius just answered Sev nonchalantly. ‘Harry thought he wasn’t being rude and I convinced him he was.’

‘Jesus, you’re worse than teenagers,’ Severus noted when Harry went red, but then, Luc wasn’t finished.

‘Oh, we did reach an agreement on how I should be able to dress you for this vacation too, Sev. In fact, I could buy you a swimming truck…’

‘You could,’ Sev said, without batting an eye. ‘But then, technically it’s mine and Harry’s money you’re spending so you can’t.’

‘What, how is that fair?’ the blond just whined. ‘I do help you with the potions too, and you did say I can spend on whatever we need!’

‘Well, I don’t _need_ a swimming trunk,’ Sev stated, only to be overheard by one of Dwight's friends, Andy, which cause him to wink at Sev.

‘Why not, Sev?’

Both Harry and Lucius were then moving in front of the Potion Master then as if protecting him from Andy, who looked a bit intimidated by them closing down on him.

‘What did you just say?’ Luc wondered out loud, maybe being as effective as to make poor Andy a tad bit jumpy, but then, to everyone’s surprise, Sev just started laughing.

‘Haha, Luc, you hear? Maybe I _should_ wear nothing more than trunks and shorts and such.’

‘No, no, no, no one can force you to give up on your preferred way of clothing, Severus,’ Luc said, clearly trying to go back on his own words. ‘Black is the best color on you, and do wear 3 layers at least, even to the pool. And maybe you shouldn’t wash your hair so often, it can get too soft.’

Sev just smiled foxily, clearly seeing why the blond would say that, and then opened their mind-link, even to Harry and told the both of them.

‘Andy here isn’t my type.’

‘Then who is?’ Luc just asked, making Severus say.

‘I might have a couple of those, actually. One, an older blond wizard, with preferably a challenging personality and huge dick.’

‘Go on,’ Lucius now just smiled.

‘And the other is a very talented younger one, who I could have under me the whole night,’ Severus did go on, making Harry blush. ‘Maybe, he could be even famous or something.’

‘And blush over simple compliments,’ Lucius chimed in, making Harry almost hex the blond when now Dwight appeared with a big number of suitcases.

‘Oh, no, you’re doing it again!’ he loudly said. ‘Having sex in right front of everyone!’

‘Excuse me? All our clothing is in place,’ Lucius said and pulled on his Muggle T-shirt. ‘And I don’t notice anyone penetrating anyone here, do you?’

‘No, but the looks you are giving each other between the three of you are almost as good,’ Dwight declared but then decided to make a joke of it. ‘Harry, if these two are keeping you hostage or something, you can always come to us.’

Harry did think, that in turn hearing this, he might have been the one who was now making go-go eyes, not even Sev and Luc.

‘Oh, I see you aren’t,’ Dwight said. ‘So we should start in five minutes, we take 3 cars and it will be around an 8-hour drive, but it’s going to be worth it, I promise.’

Sev and Luc did earlier debate whether they should just Apparate or Floo into Spain, where they were headed, ignoring the Muggle transportation their friends were using, but then decided against it.

But, to Harry’s surprise, he did enjoy sitting in the back seat with Luc, who was just as surprised by cars as Harry was by the fact that Sev had a license and was now driving, even if their car was a rental and they were just following Dwight.

Plus, the motion of the constant movement, looking out on the window, to an ever-changing scenery was so calming Harry might have ended up dozing off because when he woke, his head was on Lucius’ shoulder, and looking at the blond, his eyes were closed too.

‘Harry, want to see something great?’ Sev asked, looking at him from the rearview mirror, wearing a sunglass that was probably helping him driving, but also suit him so well Harry had to really try not the be distracted.

‘Of course!’

And to that, Sev did gave him a true Slytherin smile before turning the radio on, Katy Perry now singing from the speakers as loud as Severus had the nerve to play it, making Lucius jerk up and draw his wand, thinking probably that they were attacked or something…

‘Where does this noise coming from, what the hell?’

It wasn’t cool to laugh at your elders, yet, Harry and Sev probably couldn’t help it.

‘Be glad it’s not heavy metal!’ Severus told the blond, who was then pouting at them. ‘That’s something to wake up to.’

‘Lest you forget, my dear Severus,’ Lucius just said. ‘That everything you can do without magic, I can do with magic. Or maybe more.’

‘Scare you real bad you mean,’ Sev pushed, making Lucius - to Harry’s surprise - blush not even go angry this time. ‘Or wasn’t it a tiny scream you just produced to none other scarier than a pop-song artist?’

‘I could just switch cars the next stop,’ Lucius warned. ‘Or, now that I’m a free wizard, thanks to Harry, I could just decide not to go to this vacation.’

‘So that I’d go with Sev alone? Are you out of your mind? How long would it take for Andy to seduce Sev without both of us on guard 24/7, think, think Lucius!’ Harry dramatized the thing as if it was a life or death situation now.

‘You do have a point,’ Lucius noted. ‘That Andy boy might be half my age, but only over my dead magical body will he take Sev-‘

‘I’m right here you know,’ Severus noted. ‘And just in between the three of us, Andy is too gay for me.’

‘How is that a thing?’ Lucius asked. ‘If anything, I dress to uptight sometimes…’

‘But you’re different, Luc,’ Sev now just looked at the blond in the mirror.

‘Obviously, I can do magic,’ the blond stated.

‘Yes, but also. Andy didn’t go to school with me, didn’t serve the same crazy dark Lord as me and didn’t go to Azkaban. And… doesn’t have the connection to me on the third level.’

‘Severus, we might not have that,’ Luc then just warned. ‘You see, it could have been-‘

‘I’ll check right now, I have the power and the time,’ Harry quickly said, and before any of the two could interject, he did it.

First imagined to see layer two, and when he saw his connection to Sev, he switched to layer three.

Then, he reappeared, waking to Luc a bit worriedly looking at him, and Sev telling him.

‘You shouldn’t do that deep of a magic in a car! Magic isn’t the friend of electronics and Muggle contraptions!’

‘Well, but it is real,’ Harry now stated. ‘You are connected on the third level, it’s true, and the connection still exists. It wasn’t the part of the Mirror’s trick.’

‘Which is exactly the thing you’d say both it was true and even if it wasn’t,’ Lucius sighed. ‘But-‘

‘I’ll send you the memory, check how it’s not tampered with,’ Harry countered, opening their connection and sending the image. ‘So, do you believe it now?’

‘Poor Andy,’ Luc now grinned.

‘And a dozen other people who hit on Sev while we were in the Muggle world,’ Harry faintly smiled.

‘Yes,’ the blond agreed. ‘And in a way, you too, Severus, poor you. Now you won’t get rid of me that easily…’

‘You’re like an ugly but soft recliner, Luc,’ Sev joked. ‘Once you sit on it and feel comfortable, it doesn’t matter how your eyes have been burning before you sat, you don’t want to part with it.’

‘Ever such a romantic, I see,’ Lucius noted. ‘But then, I guess I could say you’re like the floor to me than.’

‘The floor? I’m floored,’ Severus smirked.

‘You support me and hold me up when I need it,’ the blond said, but then when he did, he must have realized how that sounded much sappier than Sev’s joke so he changed the topic.

And, they did buy a trunk for Sev and even Harry, and they did go swimming in the pools, but most of the time, they spent hours with their friends, coming back to their hotel room where they had enlarged the bed to a size that wasn’t even possible for a double bed to be but with magic…

The best was still walking on the beach, feeling the sand and the water under their feet.

Once, Lucius did a charm to throw Sev into the water with magic as they went, claiming it was payback when Sev got out of the water and had to spell himself dry.

But then, Sev just simply pushed Luc to a pool later when they were having beers with everyone, and the next thing they knew was how everyone was having a water fight. 

Scaring the other guests and the kids away with all the water splashing and the cursing at each other, but it was worth risking the hotel kicking all of them out as guests - which they didn’t, but Sev did have to pay them off.

And then, when they were back after a week, Sev wasn’t so pale as he always was, and Luc’s hair seemed to have better shine now from all the sun, and Harry himself felt changed.

Or maybe, just as if the unlucky string with the siren didn’t happen.

‘You know, I was thinking,’ he told Luc. ‘Maybe you could teach me to be an Animagi.’

It was a project to turn his mind to, after all, so that it wouldn’t fabricate abandonment scenarios in it’s too much free time.

And it was something he wanted to do since he knew James could do it, having no problems with the transfiguration, and hopefully leaving some of that skill to his son.

And, Harry did go to a Mediwitch, but then, he didn’t receive the classic psychologist type of healing he thought he would, after seeing that in the movies.

‘We do have something for siren attacks,’ the Mediwitch planted a bottle in his hand. ‘It’s a potion to help you cope. And every year, around the same days the siren attacked you, you should come to see us for a check-up, just to be safe.’

‘That’s it?’ Harry wondered because he did speak some of the fairly sensitive stuff, even if only mentioning them in passing, since he didn’t know this healer before, and he didn’t know how much time they had, but…

‘Magical people can endure more than Muggles,’ the Healer then looked at him now. ‘And so you did go through life with all those things you mentioned and don’t have a sense of security in you, maybe. But you don’t have a sense of total failure either. As I see it, playing with your mind, the siren thought the more implanted thoughts you have the better, and something will eventually take you down. But, most of them weren’t a trigger.’

‘But what really was?’ Harry wondered. ‘That I’m afraid of losing people?’

‘Everyone has something. And I found in your magic that it flows freely. It’s not hindered. I’m not saying you have a full clean bill of health, because no one really has. But everyone has something the siren could attack, Mr. Potter.’

Harry just thought about it and supposed it was right.

‘And worrying about others before something terrible happening to you is a good thing.’

‘I was worried about them leaving me, it’s still selfish,’ Harry pointed out.

‘And in a way, it’s still not, because you wanted to be with them. And, maybe it’s not worth anything if there wouldn’t be a slight fear of you losing it. Although, if this fear becomes as huge of a deal as the siren made it in the durance of days only, you seek me out again, much earlier this time, you get it?’

‘Yes,’ Harry said, leaving.


End file.
